Destructive Desires: Give Me Your Secret
by wintercandyapple
Summary: Maria and Kiku have been dating for 4 amazing months, but when Kiku mysteriously disappears, Maria sets out to find him. In her determination to get him back, she stumbles upon secrets bigger than she ever imagined. Along the way, she runs into interesting characters who are willing to help set things right, but can they uncover the truth before it's too late? AU, OC Philippines
1. Chapter 1: The Letter

Disclaimer: Do not own Hetalia!

**please read -**Note: So this is my second ever fanfic! For those of you who read Double Vision, I just want to let you know that I'm going to write in a different style, but I still think this story will be interesting if you liked that one! So this story is main centered around Maria (my OC Philippines) and Kiku, but it will switch to many other POVs. Along their journeys, expect to meet a wide range of hetalia characters ;) This story has nothing to do with my last story, and it's an AU and human names are used. So, without further ado, enjoy!

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**Chapter 1: The Letter**

Maria was pissed. It had been quite a while since the last time she had been so angry. After furiously speeding back to her apartment, she stormed up to her room and slammed the door, not caring that it was 1 o'clock in the morning and that her neighbors were probably asleep. Struggling to hold back from smashing something, she headed straight to the bathroom. A hot bath was what she needed now. It was the only thing that could soothe her, if anything could.

As she passed the mirror, she glanced up to see her reflection. She had spent over an hour getting ready earlier, and it was all for nothing. She had brushed her long deep brown hair to perfection and her amazing job with her eye makeup would make any guy try to hit on her-which had happened a couple times that night, but her hostile manner drove them away. The ocean blue one-shoulder dress she wore looked stunning against her tan skin. So why? Why was she sitting alone in that restaurant for two hours?

As she lowered herself into the steamy water, some of the tension left her shoulders, but none of the anger. It was embarrassing, no, humiliating to have had to repeatedly send the waiter away, saying she was still waiting for her date to show. After half an hour of sitting there impatiently, she had grown anxious, worrying that something had happened to him. He was usually very punctual. But after another hour, she became increasingly suspicious and soon enough, her temper blew out.

It was the first time, the first freaking time, he had stood her up in the four months they had been seeing each other. The previous outing had been so much fun, filled with laughter and kisses, so why would he do this to her now? Was he turning out to be a despicable jerk after all? No...it couldn't be true...but why did he bail on her without so much as a simple text? She had no idea what his problem was. He actually had the nerve to leave her like that on a dinner date they had planned on for a week!

By the time she got out of the bathtub, Maria had somewhat mellowed out. At least she didn't have the urge to scream into a pillow. As she flopped down on the couch, she regained a cool head and thought about his absence once more. Maybe he something important came up with his work and he had to take care of it as soon as possible. But why didn't he bother to call first, if that was true? Maybe something really did happen to him on the way and hospitalized him. Still pondering this possibility, she headed to the refrigerator to grab a snack, since she had left the restaurant without eating, but before she opened it, she finally noticed a white envelope lying on the counter. As pissed as she was when she came in, it was no surprised she had missed that going to the bathroom. At first Maria wondered how it got there, but then she immediately recognized the handwriting on the back that read her name. Of course he left it here; she had given him a key to her door last month. Sighing, she opened it up and unfolded the letter inside, not sure what to expect.

As she read the contents of his letter, her hands began to shake. She could not believe it. This wasn't happening! Why? They were so happy a few days ago! So why this? It couldn't be true! He would never...but there was no doubt it was his handwriting. When her eyes came to his signature, she put down the letter, lips trembling. Then, unable to control herself any longer, she went to her shelf where a picture of them smiling together leaned against the wall behind a glass frame. She looked as happy as could be in that photo, and his smile was flawless as usual. Letting out her fury, she grabbed the frame with the picture and slammed it face down with more force than she intended. The frame shattered and the glass in front of the photo cracked, marring their loving smiles. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she clenched her fists.

"Damn it, Kiku. What the hell! I hate you so much..."

******  
Kiku felt like shit, to say the least. Failing to show up at dinner was bad enough, but he what he wanted to do most was run all the way back to the apartment and tear that letter to shreds. No doubt she would be extremely furious with him, but he was worried that she might even be devastated. He hated to think that he broke her heart. But he had to do it, he kept on telling himself. It was inevitable. Actually, to be completely honest, he shouldn't have let his relationship take off like that.

There was no word to describe how angry he was with himself for what he had done. He had let Maria fall in love with a lie. Everything he had ever told her about his background and his work was fabricated. Whenever she asked how his day was a work, he would quickly come up with spurious answers. He was ashamed to say how easily it became to lie, but every time he lied to her, the hurt inside of him never went away.

He knew that he should have stayed away from her for her own good from the start, but he just couldn't resist. Every waking minute, her image popped into his mind. It didn't take long for him to fall in love with her as well. Selfish, that's what he was. If he was actually a noble person, he would have never gotten so close to her, especially knowing how it risked her safety as well as his. It was atrocious, how long he had led her on, think that they would have forever together. But the whole time, he knew it couldn't last. However, he found that he couldn't stay away. Whenever she wasn't with him, he had this hollow feeling inside, like he did now.

But now, there was no turning back. He may have been able to afford to see her these past few months, but now he had really done it. It was imperative that he disappeared from the city, and imperative that he cut off any ties to himself. Maria was the hardest to let go. He couldn't bear to see her face when she found out. So he skipped their dinner date and slipped into her apartment while she was waiting for him at the restaurant. It was cowardly, he knew, but if she was there in person when he told her, she just might've convinced him to change his mind. He could not let that happen.

So there he was, at 1 o'clock in the morning, boarding the soonest flight leaving New York City, with nothing more than the clothes on his back and a medium-sized metallic suitcase as a hand carry on the plane. The way he was going, he wasn't going to need much else. He had even burned the last photo of his dear Maria, even though it pained him. Best not to be reminded of what he had left behind.

******  
Five hours of tossing and turning on her suddenly uncomfortable bed left Maria irritated by the time 6 o'clock rolled around. That stupid letter wouldn't let her rest, but kept surfacing to her mind. That's it. She couldn't take being left in the dark any longer. Her questions still remained unanswered and sleeping really wasn't going to answer them. Mind made up, she got dressed right away, throwing on a white blouse and a maroon skirt, the first things she grabbed. Hastily brushing her hair and washing her face of any drowsiness, she hopped into her two door Lexus five minutes later.

Even so early in the morning, the streets were bustling with life. People hurrying to work or grabbing an early cup of coffee to start the day. It was one of the reasons she moved to New York City in the first place. With so many people, it was easy to settle down and fit it. When she was about fifteen years old, she decided she had to get away from her home as soon as she was old enough to. She dreamed of the city life, and meeting new people, and finding out how normal people led their lives. Maria was the first of her sisters to get away from their estate, though she was definitely not the oldest. Her parents never understood her reasons for leaving so suddenly, but they tried their best to support her, but Maria never accepted their gifts.

The drive only took twenty minutes, while it normally took half an hour, but again she drove with a hothead, even ran two red lights. But luckily she received no tickets, and pulled up in front of the Jade Dragon, a well-known Chinese restaurant downtown. At other times of the day, parking was horrendous, but at this hour, there were a few open spaces near the restaurant.

As she got out of the car, a familiar face was flipping over the sign in the window, now reading "Open." He blinked when he saw her approaching, his face lit up in a brilliant smile and he turned around to call, probably for his father, and then opened the door to greet her.

"Maria! Haven't seen you around here in a while, it's good to see you again," he welcomed warmly.

"Hey, Li Xiao, good to see you too! You're looking well," she replied, grinning. She used to come here a lot before she started dating Kiku, and now she regretted neglecting to visit.

"And so are you," Li Xiao said, "You're here early. Have you come as a customer or on a friendly visit?"

"Both, I guess," she answered, but this time her smile was forced on her lips. Li Xiao wasn't convinced, and frowned as he showed her in, and she took her usual seat in the back by the kitchen. Seeing her shoulder slump a little, Li Xiao went right to work whipping up a cup of relaxing green tea.

As he set her drink on a cute little saucer and placed it in front of her, the kitchen door swung open, and Yao stepped in, yawning. "Sorry, I accidentally slept in. Did you call me?" he asked his son, not yet noticing Maria, who sipped her tea, amused.

"Going blind in your old age, I suppose," Li Xiao chuckled. When Yao raised an eye brow, he pointed to where Maria sat, holding back a giggle.

"Oh, hello there, Maria!" exclaimed Yao, who hurriedly patted down his clothes and stood up straight. "Normally, I don't have customers this early."

"It's fine, I just couldn't sleep anymore so I had to get out of the apartment," explained Maria. She thought about the letter again and sighed.

"Oh, I see," Yao frowned, seeing her glum mood. "You need to talk to me about something." It wasn't a question, so Maria wondered if he already knew about what Kiku had done to her. Yao was a good friend if both Kiku and Maria, so he was the ideal person to talk to at the moment. In fact, Maria had met Kiku through Yao, at one if his New Years parties. She had been really down that night, and had found it hard to enjoy the party. Her previous boyfriend had just proven himself to be a asshole like the one before, so she was especially lonely. But then Yao introduced her to a handsome Japanese man, with slick jet-black hair and mysterious brown eyes.

At first, she was skeptical, not quite ready to consider pursuing another relationship. But then the two of them began talking. It was just small talk, nothing serious, but then she found herself to be...  
happy. She laughed harder with him that night then she ever had with any of her other boyfriends. When the party was about over, she was surprised that she was sad to go. But Kiku asked if they could go grab a cup of coffee together, and she had no hesitation. From there, their relationship hit right off, she'd say. The next four months were some of the best in her life...

When Maria didn't reply, Yao's voice brought her back to reality. "It's about Kiku, isn't it?"

Maria sighed again. Liked her boyfriend-or should she say ex-boyfriend now- Yao was excellent at reading her thoughts. Perhaps she was just an open book like her sisters always said. Without really answering, she took out Kiku's letter from her pocket and gave it to Yao, not wanting to say it out loud herself.

As Yao read through the letter, he muttered select portions, an old habit of his. "Sorry you had to find out this way...you deserve better...there was nothing you could do to stop me anyways...I'm leaving the city...this is the last you'll ever hear from me..." Yao stopped muttering at the last part, and handed her back the letter, biting his lip. "Yes, that sounds about right," he said bitterly.

"What do you mean?" Maria asked, confused.

"He came here last night before I closed up shop. He seemed very unsettled. Since he came as a customer, I treated him like so, being formal and all, not really asking any personal questions. But when he finished eating, he said goodbye, as if it were permanent. His conduct kind of scared me, so I asked where he was off to next and why he was so fidgety. But he gave me another fake smile and waved me off before picking up his suitcase and flagging down a taxi," Yao told her. Maria should have been wondering why he was acting so nervous then, but she was too caught up in the fact that he had skipped their dinner to come HERE. Jerk...

"That bastard..." Maria grumbled, as Yao gave her a look filled with pity. "Who does he think he is..."

"I want to know what he was up to," Yao said thoughtfully. It was strange that Kiku had brushed Yao off like that. They were very close, so Yao thought that he would tell him anything. Apparently not.

But Maria didn't hear him. She was too busy being ticked off. When she glanced down at the letter on the table, the last sentence seemed to jump out at her, haunting her.

"_Because I don't love you_." She had repeated his written words but then shook her head in frustration. All those times he had said he loved her...what is all a lie? No...it couldn't be. Her feelings for him, they weren't for nothing! After a month of seeing him, she had learned how to read his guarded eyes, and she knew that he had felt the same way. There was more to this than it appeared, she was certain of it. As she took a closer look at the letter, she noticed how hastily the message was written by the slant in his cursive letters. He would never do this to her without a legitimate reason. So why did he leave the city in such a hurry?

"I'm going to find him," she announced. It was a reckless impulse, but something in her gut told her that Kiku was in trouble. And he needed her.

"What? Just like that?" Yao blinked, shocked. "What about your job? He's probably lone gone by now. Can you even afford to follow him?" Li Xiao almost spit out his own tea when she stood up.

"Well, looks like I'll actually have to use my past five birthday presents," she smiled to herself.

"What are you talking about?" Yao shook his head in exasperation.

"Never mind. I got it all taken care of. Thanks for your help," she said as she headed towards the door.

"Now wait a minute! You can't just go out and look for him all by yourself!" exclaimed the Chinese man.

"Why not? I'm a big girl now," she exhaled. Yao would always see her as the little girl who would always giggle and play whenever he had visited the de la Cruz estate years ago. "I can take care of myself."

"Look, when you moved out of your old home and came here, your parents asked me to keep an eye on you," Yao insisted. Her decision was so random, without any thought or plan behind it. He knew a recipe for disaster when he saw one.

"Well, you can't stop me from going," Maria huffed and turned her back on him. Yao hated when she got like this. The girl could be so hardheaded sometimes.

"Father, you should go with her," Li Xiao said softly.

"What?" he inquired. The thought never crossed his mind.

"I can take care of the shop. I practically run it anyways. You're both Kiku and Maria's friend. You should help them."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! Now hurry! She's almost to her car!" Li Xiao shouted, startling his father, who nodded and called after Maria. She stopped before opening the car door.

"I told you, nothing you have to say can change my mind," she called back.

"No," he said as he ran up to her, panting, "I'm coming with you."

"What? Why would you do that?"

"So I can keep my promise to your parents. And so I can help Kiku as well." Yao smiled and Maria rolled her eyes, but then returned his warm gesture.

"Okay, fine."

"Good. Just let me grab a few things. I'll only be a minute."

"Okay, just be fast." She sat in the car and waited a few minutes before Yao came back with a leather suitcase.

"All set?" she asked as she turned on the ignition. He nodded and she was ready to step on the gas when a thought stopped her. "...I have no idea where to go."

"Of course you don't," Yao sighed, "Well, we need to find out why he left first. I know another one of his closest friends who also lives in the city. Maybe you know him already?"

"Maybe, but this is a big city. What's his name?"

"Does Alfred F. Jones ring a bell?"

******  
Paris, France. The city of love. How ironic for this to be his destination. Maria had once told Kiku that she had always wanted to visit the vibrant city, and he had promised he would take her one day. Another promise that he could never fulfill. He was somewhat glad that he wouldn't be here for long, but before he could head off to his final destination, he had to pay a visit to an old acquaintance.

It had been a while since he had actually been to the Bonnefoy household in outskirts of Paris, so he really hoped they hadn't moved in the past six years. But sure enough, when he rang the doorbell, a man with long wavy blond locks answered.

"Bonjour...Oh! Kiku, is that really you?" When he realized who it was on his door step, a surprised grin grew on his face and he switched to English.

"Hai, of course, it's nice to see you again, Francis," Kiku greeted kindly. "Can I come in?"

"Sure," Francis nodded as he let Kiku step in, and then led him into the kitchen. "You dropped in unexpectedly, that's pretty unlike you." It wasn't an accusation of sorts, just a simple observation.

"Sorry about that," he apologized, "I know I should have called first."

"No, it's fine. So Alfred tells me you finally got yourself a girlfriend? What's she like?" asked Francis as he poured himself a glass of wine and offered some to Kiku, who declined.

"You're still in touch with Alfred? That's nice. And I did, but we're not seeing each other anymore..."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Francis replied awkwardly. He wanted to ask Kiku what happened with his girl, and a few years ago, he would have, but something was wrong with his friend, he could see it the way he pursed his lips.

"Look, Francis," Kiku began, shifting his weight, "I didn't just come here for a friendly visit."

"I figured as much," Francis said as he sat down on the couch, and Kiku did the same. "You look...strained."

"Well these past few days haven't been easy. But I came here to ask, does your sister still live around here?" Kiku finally uttered out.

"Laura? No, she traveled to Belgium a few years ago. Actually, the past couple of letters she sent me had a return address somewhere in England. Near London, I think. She left to do some research, so your 'company' should know more about that than I do. She's your colleague, after all."

"Yes, but I worked in America. It's a totally different branch, so I wouldn't know. Anyway, thanks for the information, I was planning on going to London no matter what, so at least this saves me the extra trip," Kiku thanked him, picked up his metallic suitcase, and stood up to leave.

"Wait, can I ask why you want to go to London all of a sudden?" Francis put a hand on his shoulder, showing genuine concern. Normally, he would always mess around with his old friends, but something was definitely off about Kiku this time.

"Sorry, but I can't really say," Kiku replied, subtly warning him not to question any further. His refusal to answer worried the Frenchman, but he let it go.

"But you've never been to London, correct?" When Kiku nodded reluctantly, he continued, "Well, I know a guy who lives there, and he knows the city inside out. He can show you around, and trust me, you're going to need his help finding your way through the streets. I'll write down his address for you." As Francis took out a piece of paper and a pen, he kept talking, "When you meet him, say you're a friend of Alfred's, not mine. He'll treat you a little nicer, I expect." He chuckled knowingly and Kiku gave him a questioning look. "He doesn't really think much of me, always calling me a 'bloody frog,' but that's alright. I know he's just jealous."

At first, Kiku didn't accept the piece of paper, but then decided that he may need a guide after all and stuffed it in his pocket. "Thanks, Francis," he said again as he opened the door.

"It's no big deal. Just take care of yourself," Francis called. Kiku paused, as if he had something more to say. But then he changed his mind and shut the door behind him.

*******  
Ludwig frowned as he put down the phone. Lovino had been on the other end, demanding to know whether his brother Feliciano was at Ludwig's place. "Yeah, his flight arrived two hours ago and I just got back from picking him up at the airport," he had told the Italian older brother, who sounded quite cross over the phone

"Thank God," Lovino had exhaled when he heard Ludwig's answer. When the German asked why he needed to know so bad, Lovino quickly gave brief explanation before saying he had to go. Apparently numerous disappearances were occurring throughout Spain, where the two Italians lived since Lovino's job was there, and he had forgotten that Feliciano was in Germany visiting Ludwig. The detective agency there suspected that a mass murderer was at large, yet no corpses had turned up, but even still Lovino was worried that his brother might have become a victim.

After setting down the phone, Ludwig looked over to the couch where Feliciano lay, fast asleep. He sure knew how to take a siesta. Perhaps it was a good thing Feli decided to come visit after all, since it wasn't safe in Spain with all the mysterious disappearances. Ludwig doubted that one murderer could take so many lives throughout the whole nation, but then again, he wouldn't know. Perhaps Antonio was working on the case. Ludwig vaguely remembered him working for the detective agency in Madrid the last time he saw the Spaniard.

Then he heard the front door open, but no greeting. "Bruder? Is that you?" Ludwig called. Normally when Gilbert returned home he would obnoxiously announce it. Something like, "I have graced you with my awesome presence!"

"Yeah I'm home," mumbled Gilbert distractedly as he lumbered into the room. Ludwig raised an eyebrow. Something was off about his red-eyed brother. Usually he was never this quiet. He even seemed a bit gloomy.

"What happened?" Ludwig asked, trying to read into his mood a little more.

"Well...I got my next assignment," Gilbert said dejectedly. By now Ludwig was very confused. Gilbert loved his job, and every time he got back home from his work, he'd have another amazing story to tell about his last 'adventure' he'd call it. Whenever Ludwig rolled his eyes in exasperation and told his brother to get a normal job, Gilbert would cross his arms over his chest, saying he couldn't possibly give up the thrill of the chase, along with the other perks his work came with. But being poignant about another assignment was not like him at all.

"So what's wrong? Who's the target this time?" Ludwig prompted, curious more than anything. Gilbert had never been soft with a target, not once in his whole career, so why was there regret in his red eyes? Even Ludwig had to admit Gilbert's job as a bounty hunter paid extremely well, especially since albino had never failed to capture his prey,  
so another assignment meant another bounty, making it a good thing, right?

Deciding it was better to show Ludwig rather than explain, Gilbert unzipped his backpack and withdrew a large brown envelop. He opened it and slapped its contents on the table for his brother to see. It was a profile page of his next target. At the top of the page, above his image, in big black letters, read HONDA KIKU. Ludwig inhaled sharply as he read the bold red letters stamped across the page. WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE.

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From the Author: So that was chapter 1! It's a bit short, and I briefly touched on certain key topics throughout the chap, like the Spanish problem, Maria's family, Gilbert's job, and of course Kiku's secrets, but I'll go into more detail next chapter! As Maria and our other heroes venture deeper into the unseen, they will find themselves entangled in a web of secrets bigger than they ever imagined!

For this fanfic, I decided not to use accents like I did last time, just for the sake of the flow of the story, so sorry if that disappointed anyone...tho I don't know why it would. Any sorry if you thought there was a little OOCness, I just wanted to make the characters seem a bit more serious, but other than that they should retain their normal personalities.

Thanks for all your time! While you're here, you might as well leave a review, hint hint, nudge nudge! Please tell me what you think! Thanks guys!


	2. Chapter 2: Headway

Disclaimer: Hetalia. Don't own it.

Note: Four reviews already? That's so awesome! Thanks so much! So, even though the genre officially says mystery and romance, I'm here to say that this will include almost all the genres! Too bad there's not a button for that. Prepare for suspense, action, adventure, angst, friendship, and tragedy! And I gotta say, I'm not one for long-winded beginning, I'd rather dive right into the story. That said, enjoy!

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"I must warn you," Yao said as he rang the door bell to the condominium, "he has a lot of energy for his age."

"Don't worry, my sisters were pretty hyperactive, too," Maria laughed, "I can handle it." Yao opened his mouth to say something more, but before he could, a man with caramel-colored hair and bright blue eyes behind glasses opened the door, a big smile spread across his face.

"Yao! Wow, I haven't seen you in weeks," the man greeted excitedly as he patted the Chinese man in the back a little too hard, causing him to cough. When he laughed, no, guffawed, Maria found out why Yao tried to warn her.

"So you must be Alfred. It's nice to meet you." Maria held out her hand politely and gave a pleasant smile. She had always been told that first impressions were crucial, so every time she made sure to be a bit cordial.

"But I've already met you," Alfred frowned, "You're Xiao Mei, right? I see you working at the Jade Dragon with your family."

"Um, this isn't my daughter..." Yao whispered to him.

"What? No, my name's Maria," she introduced herself, a little annoyed. She didn't look anything like Xiao Mei, or even mildly like Yao. For one, her skin tone was totally off, and second, Xiao Mei was only fifteen. Did she really look like a kid? Alfred wasn't very observant, it seemed.

"Oh, sorry about that. But yeah, I'm Alfred, nice to meet you, too," he grinned lightly, finally shaking her hand.

"Al? Who's at the door?" called someone from within the condo. "Don't be rude! Show them in already!"

"Okay, Matt," Alfred called back, then stepped out of the doorway, letting Maria and Yao enter. After taking a quick look around, she found that she liked his place. It was nice and cozy, like her apartment, but not as decorated and cute. But it still had that feeling about it, like it welcomed anyone through its doors. As Alfred led them to the kitchen, they passed what seemed to be an entertainment room, with a flat screen TV and a shelf cluttered with various video games and movies. There was also a very expensive-looking computer sitting on a large desk, which had piles of papers hastily stacked on top.

In the kitchen, someone who looked so much like Alfred that he had to be his brother, no doubt about it, was flipping pancakes and frying bacon. When he turned around to say hello, his face was strikingly similar to Alfred's, only his hair was a tiny bit different, with a stray curl, while his brother had a wayward strand of hair that stood up. "We were just about to have breakfast, would you like to join us?" asked the brother with the curl. Maria had almost forgotten how it was only 7:30 in the morning. Lucky for her these two were early risers.

"Oh, no thank you, I already ate," Maria declined, but accepting a seat at the table when Alfred offered. Yao said the same.

"Okay then. I'm Matthew, by the way," he answered. Then he tilted his head a little, staring at her with curious eyes. "Did you say you're name was Maria? I've heard that name before…Oh, I remember now! You're Kiku's girlfriend, right?"

"Yeah, or at least, I used to be," Maria muttered sheepishly, while Yao looked away uncomfortably.

"Used to be? What happened? He talked about you all the time when he came over. Like he couldn't stop thinking about you," Alfred inquired as he loaded his plate with bacon and pancakes.

"Really? Well, could've fooled me. He just high-tailed it out of the city, only leaving a stupid letter," she grumbled back. Angry thoughts were beginning to form in her head again as Yao spoke up.

"That's actually why we came here," the Chinese man told Alfred, "You wouldn't know anything about Kiku's sudden departure?"

"…Well, I don't know any details or solid facts really, but the last time he came by…" Alfred trailed off, and Matthew frowned. They appeared to be recalling the same memory, and their lighthearted atmosphere changed drastically.

"What happened?" Their strange expressions had peaked Maria's interest. Maybe she'd finally get a clue as to what was going on exactly. But when they hesitated to answer, she grew impatient. "Look, I think I deserve to know more. You don't understand. That damn letter didn't say anything really. I have to know!"

Alfred sighed. "I just don't know how to put it into words. A few days ago, he showed up on my doorstep with wild eyes. It was raining that night, so he was sopping wet, as if he'd run all the way here. We gave him a towel and some dry clothes and tried to calm him down."

"Yeah, he was in a pretty bad condition. He looked like his was still in shock from something," Matthew recounted, thinking back.

"Then what happened? Did he say anything?" Yao pressed.

"I don't think I'm supposed to tell you," Alfred said slowly, but then sighed once more, "But I guess you guys aren't taking no for an answer. I guess we weren't sworn to secrecy or anything. When Kiku finally calmed down, we asked him what was wrong, but he wouldn't tell us. 'I can't bring myself to say it out loud,' he said. But then, he asked me to make him a downloadable virus."

"What? You can make those?" Maria frowned.

"Of course, didn't you see all the computer tech in the other room?" Alfred smirked, "It started with just finding cheats and stuff in video games when I was younger, but now I think I can say I'm a pretty good computer hacker."

"Yeah, it's like a hobby of his," agreed his brother, a slight disapproving tone in his voice. Maria scrunched her brows. What a strange hobby…

"Anyway, at first, I wasn't going to make it for him if he wasn't going to tell me what it was for. All he told me is that he needed one that could crash an entire database, but he wouldn't tell me why. But he kept asking, almost pleading, and I couldn't say no anymore. I've never seen him look so…desperate."

"So you made him a virus?" she asked, still perplexed.

"Yeah, I worked on it all night like he asked me to. But a virus like that can't just be sent from one computer to another. I put it on a USB drive that has to be plugged into the main computer of the database," Alfred explained, but Maria still didn't really understand. "Kiku said he knew how to get past the computer's pass codes and into the main database. From there he would just have to download what was on the hard drive."

"But he never said what the virus was for?" Yao pursed his lips. What was Kiku up to? With every new piece of information he grew even more disconcerted.

"No, I gave it to him the next day, and he just said thanks for everything, and left. That's the last time I saw him," Alfred tapped his fingers on the table. "But when he was trying to get me to make him a virus, he mentioned something about his work."

"His work?" Maria repeated.

"Yeah…what do you know about his work?" he inquired, but he seemed to already know the answer.

"Well, he works for a pharmaceutical company called Teramist. He's a sales manager there," Maria told him, wondering why he asked with a strange look on his face.

"Yeah, that's what he's told me too," Alfred said darkly, "But that's a lie."

"What? No, it's not," Maria objected, "If I ever asked him for painkillers, he'd give me some. The labels on the bottles always say 'Teramist.' That's even what it says on his business card."

"It's easy to forge those. The pharmacy is just a cover up, I'm sure of it. After he left, I went to the Teramist website. The website's fake, that's a fact. But there was a link that employees were supposed to use that led me to another website. It's heavily encrypted, not even I can crack it. If it's just a pharmacy, why are they hiding something?"

"Even still, you're story's hard to believe," she repudiated tentatively, "How do you know the website's fake?"

"Actually, Matt figured that out. Tell her, Matt!" Alfred patted his brother on the shoulder proudly.

"Well, if you take a closer look at the site, Teramist doesn't do anything to advertise its products. You can't even look at what types of medicine they have. It says if you'd like to purchase something, you have to purchase it from a local pharmacy, but think about it. I've never seen any Teramist products in the stores. Kiku gave you some pain killers, but how hard is it to just tear off an old label and stick on a new one? No one notices that its medicines don't exist because no one really orders Teramist when there are much more commercialized brands out there. There's not any contact information on the website," Matthew explained sensibly, as if it were obvious. "It's like they don't want you to know about their company. And if that's right, how do they make the money they need to run Teramist?" Even Maria had to admit he had a point. She had never even heard of Teramist before Kiku came along.

"Okay, that could be true," Yao said thoughtfully, "But do you have any solid proof?"

"Not really," replied Matthew, "Al can't decode the encryption, so this all just something of an educated guess."

Maria got out of her seat. "I need to know more…" But there was no contact info on Teramist. How the hell was she supposed to get answers?

"Did you try Kiku's apartment?" asked Alfred.

"Er…no," she mumbled. That should have been the first place that she checked. But she figured that was too easy or something. It was a start though. "We'll go there right now," she said to Yao, who nodded, then turned to thank the two brothers. "Thanks for all your help, I really appreciate it."

"Wait, we're coming with you," Alfred declared, putting his empty plate in the sink. Matthew nodded in agreement.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, we want to know what's up with Kiku. He's our friend, too," Alfred smiled, showing his sincerity as his mind was made up. "He still has my USB drive. I can't let him leave with my stuff!"

"Okay, but I'm not driving you two. I don't have room in my car," Maria grinned. The two brothers laughed and Alfred held up his car keys, signaling that he had his own ride. As she turned the knob to the door, she wondered why Kiku had never introduced her to his friends. Not just these two, but he had never really introduced her to any of his other friends. And why did he have to go and keep all these secrets? As she got to her car, she stopped in her tracks, feeling a tiny bit of shame at her sudden realization of her own hypocrisy. She hadn't told Kiku everything about herself either…

* * *

"Ve~ Where did you say Gilbert went off to again?" Feliciano asked as he cooked the pasta for lunch.

"He got another assignment, so he left a while ago. He's on his way to New York City, I think." Ludwig answered from the kitchen table, not even looking up from the newspaper.

"Aww, that's too bad. And you just started your vacation, too! Now you two can't have any quality time together," Feliciano sighed as he began mixing the sauces. As soon as Ludwig told him when his vacation weeks were, Feliciano planned his visit to his residence in Germany. "So who's his assignment? Is it another bank robber? Or is it more dangerous? Like a serial killer?" He asked excitedly. "I know Gilbert likes it when the case is more interesting."

Ludwig folded the newspaper and placed it on the table, hesitating to answer. He had meant to keep Gilbert's next target a secret from the Italian, knowing it would just upset him. He himself had been uneasy as he read Kiku's profile page. Even Gilbert was down as he prepared for the hunt. But maybe Feliciano deserved to know as well. "Well…neither of those. You remember Kiku, don't you?"

"Of course I do! We were all good friends in school, ever since I can remember," replied the Italian happily, thinking that Ludwig had just changed the subject. It never crossed his mind what Ludwig was trying to imply.

"Feli…" the German frowned, unsure how to phrase the situation.

"What's wrong?" Feliciano put down his tasting spoon, seeing his frown.

"You see, Kiku's his target," he finally uttered out, and then saw the shock register on his friend's face.

"What? But why? I can't imagine him doing anything wrong! What did he do?"

"W-well, I'm not sure. The charges on his profile page weren't very specific."

"What did they say?" Feliciano was troubled by the news. And he knew that Ludwig was, too, even if he tried to hide it. They did owe Kiku their lives, didn't they?

"All it said was 'wanted: dead or alive' across the page and at the bottom it said 'for crimes against humanity.'" Ludwig recalled. What was that supposed to mean?

* * *

"Do you even have a key to his apartment?" Matthew asked at they walked up to Kiku's room.

"Of course I do," Maria said, trying not to show how irritated she was. They had exchanged keys to each other's door last month. And Kiku used hers to leave a break up letter on her counter while she was waiting for him at dinner. Actually, he still had hers, she realized. Damn it, all this was so confusing. If he really meant what he had written in that letter, then why didn't he leave her key under mat? Why did he keep it?

As she unlocked his door and pushed it open, she had the same bracing feeling in her gut that she had when she first opened the letter, unsure of what to expect inside. "What the hell?" she muttered as she stepped into the room, which looked like a tornado had swept through it. Papers were littered all over the floor, drawers and cabinets were wide open, couch cushions were overturned, and the window was flung open.

"Um…I don't think Kiku did this…" Alfred whispered. "He was also so neat and organized."

"His photos are all gone from the wall," observed Yao, "And his computer's smashed."

"Weird…" was all Maria could say. Every time she had been over, there was not so much as a single folder out of place. Alfred was right; it wasn't like Kiku to leave such a mess. Then she saw the empty frame that sat on his desk where a picture of the two of them had been. Another reminder of how it was over…

"It looks like someone else was here, looking for something," said Matthew. "The window's been wrenched open from the outside, and that's how they got in. If anything was here that would lead us to him, it's probably already been taken or destroyed."

Maria was beginning to lose her temper. What was this? Her questions were still unanswered and now more were springing forth. She absolutely hated being left in the dark. It was like the person she had been dating, the person she had loved, didn't exist, or was just a cover up, hiding so many secrets. But how could that be? Her feelings were real, but were Kiku's? Now she had to find him. Confront him. Demand to know if he had really loved her all that time, or if his letter really had said the truth.

Just then, Alfred's pop ring tone tore her away from her thoughts. He answered it, and the others waited patiently for Alfred to finish, but as the person on the other end kept talking, he scrunched his brows and creased his forehead. When he was finished, he stared at his phone for a moment, thinking, and then said, "That was Francis. He said…well, first, he asked me if I knew what was wrong with Kiku…I said no, I'm still trying to figure it out, and then he said that Kiku visited him just now…"

"What?" exclaimed Yao, but Maria was puzzled. She didn't even know who the heck Francis was.

"He was just at Francis's place?" asked Matthew, shaking his head, "All the way in Paris?"

"Kiku's in France?" she echoed. He must have left as soon as he dropped off the letter then, if he was in Paris already. So he really did leave the city like the letter said.

"Did Francis say anything else? Inquired Yao, gears turning inside his head, Maria could see.

"Yeah, he said whatever's going on is connected to Kiku's work. He's deduced that much. And right before he left Francis's house, Kiku mentioned going to London," Alfred relayed. There was a pause while everyone stood, stuck in deep thoughts, before she burst out.

"Great, I guess that means I get to go to London!" squealed Maria cheerfully. She had always wanted to visit the United Kingdom. It was one of the countries she had yet to see. Traveling around the globe amazed her every time she came to a new place. She loved seeing different cultures and eating new foods, and she'd never tried any genuine English food before.

"You're just going to follow him? That's some determination," Matthew cocked his head to the side.

"Of course, no one leaves me alone in a restaurant for two hours and gets away with it!" she announced. Kiku owed her some serious answers, and she was going to get them no matter what.

"I'm not letting you go alone," Yao sighed, knowing that he couldn't change her mind and that he would have to accompany her.

"We're coming with you guys," Alfred said, excitement shining in his blue eyes.

"Hold up, why are you coming?" Maria asked inquisitively. She didn't expect him to join her just like that, especially since they had just met not an hour ago.

"Like I said earlier, Kiku still has my stuff. Plus, it looks as if Kiku's in some kind of trouble. If we're going on an adventure, then there no one fitter than me to be the hero!" he proclaimed animatedly.

"You play too much video games, don't you?" mumbled Maria, exasperated, but she didn't argue. But perhaps they wouldn't just be dead weight she'd have to lug around, they could prove themselves useful. Matthew had a keen eye for things out of place and Alfred was good with the high tech stuff.

"I'll say," laughed Matthew. Then his voice grew tentative. "But airfare these days…"

"Oh yeah, we're a little short on cash, aren't we?" frowned his brother.

"Don't worry about that," Maria smirked. "I can take care of transportation."

"How? That's a lot of dough…" Alfred bit his lip. He didn't like anyone paying for his things, and he especially didn't like being in debt.

"I can ask my dad if I can use his private jet. I'm sure he'll give it to me; he can never say no to his daughter," she reassured him.

"You're dad has his own jet? Are you rich or something?"

"Yes, he has a jet, but no I'm not rich. My parents are, but I'm not," Maria made herself extra clear. She really didn't like that word. Rich. It disgusted her, and it was the reason she left the estate. But she really did miss her family sometimes, and she knew her father did, too, which was why she was so certain he'd lend her the jet. Even still, she didn't like to be reminded of all that. "So anyway, I'll call my dad, and meanwhile you two should go pack your things if you're determined to go with us. I'll grab my own stuff and Yao already has his, so meet us at Teterboro Airport in an hour, okay?" The two brothers nodded, trusting she could acquire the jet and headed toward their car. Maria sighed and pulled out her phone. While she was still confident about the jet, she hadn't talked to her father in months, so she wondered how many questions she'd have to dodge.

* * *

A long line of curse words floated in Lovino's mind as he stared at the files in front of him, using all his willpower to keep from exploding in front of his boss again. Normally, he didn't care whether Antonio was present as he cursed left and right, but today was different. Today, even Antonio was in danger of losing his mind, so Lovino decided it was best to stay quiet for the time being to allow him to cool down. But he wondered if that would ever happen. The files of missing people just kept piling higher and higher each day. As part of Madrid's detective agency, it was their job to get to the bottom of this, but there was not a trace of any of these people. It was as if they had just vanished off the streets. How the hell were there so many freaking people gone?

He picked up the nearest file and looked at the profile page again. Isabel Santiago. Age 19. Disappeared on her way home to her dorm after going to the grocery store last week. Then he scanned the next file. Ricardo Fernandez. Age 31. Never returned home after work one evening three days ago. Lovino looked at a third file. Lilliana Masserton. A tourist from America touring the capital, but went missing after going souvenir shopping. None of these files seemed to have any distinguishable connection! Each missing person was a random as the next. Whoever was kidnapping these people didn't have any preferences. So what was their motive? Lovino couldn't even begin to guess.

The missing persons count had climbed to over 100 people last night. That was completely unacceptable, and the citizens were scared and angry, claiming that the agency wasn't doing its job. But Antonio was not concerned about losing his job. He could care less about that. Antonio hated himself for failing his nation. He was supposed to catch the bad guys to prevent them from harming innocent people, but now, he couldn't even do that. His last shreds of hope were in danger of being ripped right out of him, and Lovino hated seeing him like this. The Italian had read the files over and over again, trying to find any hidden clues, but it was fruitless. The only similarity he could find was that all these people disappeared after the sun went down. And each person was alone, walking through the streets in the dark hours. Now, Lovino did have one idea that would lead him to the culprit, but it was almost too risky, and definitely dangerous. And if he told his boss, his plan would be rejected immediately. But the more he thought of it…

His train of thought was broken when Antonio suddenly jumped out of his seat and crumpled the notes in front of him. After slamming his fist on the table, he fell back into his chair and then put his elbows on his desk, hands covering his face. Regretfully, Lovino knew his boss had reached a breaking point. Seeing him so dismayed, he made up his mind that instant. Lovino would carry out his plan on his own so he wouldn't have to watch Antonio like this anymore.

* * *

Gilbert took long strides as he made his way through New York City. On the outside, he just seemed like any other pedestrian hurrying to their destination in the crowded city, but on the inside, his emotions clashed within. He had never experienced such mixed feelings in any of his previous assignments. He was a bounty hunter, and a pretty damn awesome one at that. The money was good, and Gilbert absolutely lived for the excitement, the adrenaline rush that came every time he approached his target. It was like the job was made for him.

But not this time. Why did it have to be Kiku? Gilbert wasn't sure he could complete this one. Not only were they old friends, but Gilbert felt indebted to the guy for saving his brother's life. Damn it. He had to make up his mind before he reached the apartment. In his indecisiveness, he thought back to his earlier targets. They had deserved justice, every one of them. Gilbert had even had to kill some of the malicious ones, but he didn't feel any trace of regret back then. It was because he viewed them as the bad guys who would just take more lives or harm more innocents if he let them get away. But he couldn't see Kiku as the bad guy.

Even still, Kiku must have done something unspeakable if he was wanted dead or alive with such a large bounty placed on his head. Perhaps Kiku had changed since they last saw each other and had turned to darker ways. His strides quickened as he suddenly made up his mind. He would catch Kiku and demand to know what he had done. Then he would decide for himself what to do.

With new resolve, he waited at the crosswalk for the sign to change from the red hand to a white figure walking, signaling it was okay to cross, when someone called his name from behind. "Gilbert!" He turned around at the sound of her voice to see one of his old friends hurrying up to him.

"Lizzie," he said, surprised as she stood next to him at the crosswalk, smiling.

"I was wondering if you were the albino I knew," Elizaveta laughed lightheartedly. "I didn't expect to see you here! Are you vacationing here too? Which hotel are you staying at?"

"Oh, um, yeah! I'm staying at the Pierre near Central Park," lied Gilbert. Elizaveta already knew that he was bounty hunter, but he'd rather not say that he was here working.

"Seriously? Me too! It's such a nice hotel! No wonder it is got five stars! I always like visiting this city, especially since a lot of our high school friends live here. I dropped by Alfred's and Matthew's yesterday for a quick visit. You should visit them while you're here too," she gushed, talking really fast as usual as they crossed the street. "Hmm, these streets look familiar…I know! This is the way to Kiku's place, I think. Are you going by to say hi to him?"

"Um, yeah, just going to make a quick stop," Gilbert lied again through his teeth, but she didn't notice. He was a good liar; it seemed to come with the job. After dealing with the deceitful, some of their malevolent ways seemed to rub off on him.

"Then I'll come with you! I was going to visit him sooner or later, so I might as well go with you," she bubbled happily. "I haven't seen him in person for a while, but we've still been in touch. Last I heard, he got a new girlfriend! I really want to meet her; she's probably adorable just like Kiku."

"Actually, this is a private visit," Gilbert said quickly, "I don't think you should come." The last thing he needed was her watching him apprehend their old friend. Talk about awkward...

"What? Why? Don't be a stranger, Gil, I doubt there's anything you have to say to Kiku that's that private," Elizaveta waved off.

Gilbert sighed. There was no way she'd leave him alone if he kept up this act, so he might as well tell her. "Look, Lizzie, I'm here on work."

"Oh. So you're not actually going to Kiku's?" The cheerfulness in her face dwindled, knowing what he meant by 'work.'

"Well…yeah I am," he shifted his weight uncomfortably. This conversation was heading downhill fast.

"Wait, does that mean…no way! You are not hunting Kiku!" she exclaimed, complete shock replacing her disappointment in her green eyes.

"Yes, I am. That's why you should leave now. You don't need to see this," he said, making his voice stern and even a little grim.

"First tell me what the charges are," she huffed, this time her voice unreadable.

"All it said was wanted for crimes against humanity."

"What? But that could be anything! That's it, I'm coming with you," she said as she crossed her arms over her chest indignantly. Now it was Gilbert's turn to be shocked.

"What? No, you are not coming!" he ordered, but she just kept walking, ignoring his command.

"Even if you're not going to take me to his place, you can't stop me from visiting him right now. I have to know what crimes against humanity means, and I'll make him tell me," she repudiated evenly. Gilbert sighed again and continued walking with her. She was always such a stubborn girl, even when they were younger, always having to get her way.

Neither had said another word until they reached Kiku's apartment and rang the door bell a couple of times, but there was no answer. Elizaveta was about to ask what they were going to do now, but Gilbert had already started picking the lock. She rolled her eyes and waited, and soon enough the door clicked open. When they entered the apartment however, she wondered if they had gone to the wrong room. Kiku would never allow his residence to get so messy! There was no way this was his place. But Gilbert chuckled, causing her to raise an eyebrow.

"Do you believe me now? Looks like Kiku skipped town. I'm not the only one after him judging by this mess. The window is open, that's how they got in. I guess I'm going to have to track down Kiku the hard way then," he smirked haughtily. He always loved it when his prey tried to get away.

"Okay then, I'm going with you," Elizaveta put her hands on her hips.

"Not happening. It's too dangerous," he replied immediately, giving her a hard look.

"Oh come on. This is Kiku we're talking about. Besides, you need me. I know him better than you do. Plus, I'm in touch with all of our old friends and they might know what's up with him. You need some girl intuition on your side, trust me," she smiled mischievously. It was time she got a piece of the action for once instead of listening to Gilbert babble on about his adventures.

"Are you being serious? Why do you even want to come?"

"Because, Kiku's my friend, I want to know what happened and if I can help him. I'm going so that when you catch him, I can get some answers, and then I'll help your judgment," she claimed, lips set straight.

"But…" he said feebly, her stare boring into him. He hated when she did that. Then he considered her words. Normally, he worked strictly solo, but maybe letting her tag along wasn't so bad. It might even be fun to mix it up a little. "Okay fine, you can help. But that means you're working for me, so if I give you an order, you have to follow it no matter what. And no confronting Kiku without me. My word is absolute, got it?"

"Fair enough…but first tell me something." Suddenly her mood darkened and she looked down at the floor. "Are you going to kill him?" She almost didn't ask for fear of the answer, but it was best she knew what she was getting into.

Gilbert hesitated at first, but when he answered, his voice never wavered. "It says wanted dead or alive. I'm going to be the first to catch him so that I can catch him alive. If he committed a crime, then he has to answer for it, but I'm not going to be the one to pull the trigger. I think that would settle my debt at the least." At this, Elizaveta smiled. His behavior might say otherwise, but deep down inside, she knew he had a gentler side to him that rarely showed itself. But when it did, she loved it.

"Then we should get to work right away," she said, saluting her temporary boss playfully. As they searched the apartment for any clues left behind, worry began to sprout in her mind. Crimes against humanity…what could that possibly mean?

* * *

From the Author: Hehehe the good stuff will be starting soon and I'm excited to begin working on it! Just a heads up: since it's summer here in the US, this story will be update at irregular intervals, but I'll try not to leave more that a week and a half in between each one. Anyway, I'd like to say that the style of this fanfic is...well, very simplistic. Very blunt and to-the-point. And I like it that way, so I hope you guys do too! Another thing, there might be some pairings later on, as you can already begin to guess, but I'm not going to write about anything too intimate. Hence the rating...but there will be romance!

I'd like to say thanks a bunch to all my wonderful reviewers! Thanks to all those who have favorited and alerted as well! Also, thanks for just reading this! I love hearing from my amazing audience!

**NinjaRoll:** Yay! I can't wait either! Thanks for the review! I hope this style is different yet satisfying :)

**GilbirdAttack: **:D I hope you do fall in love with it! If you liked Double Vision, then you should like this one. thanks for the support!

**Firihon and USUK FTW: **To answer your question I will only say this: I'm a sucker for happy endings ;) Thanks!

**itgirl18: **The answers to your questions will be revealed throughout the story ;) Aww I appreciate your encouragement! You're too kind!

Thanks to all my readers! All of you rock! :D


	3. Chapter 3: Disappearances

Disclaimer: Do not own hetalia!

Note: Did I ever tell you guys how much I love my audience? Cuz i do! I lot! Thanks sooo much for the reviews! It motivates me to write more :) Anyway, this chapter is...different I guess. It's more of a set up chapter. Except for the end ;) It's also very informational, but once all thats out of the way I can begin the good stuff! So enjoy!

* * *

**Twelve Years Ago (Maria-Age 8)**

"Wow, I've never been to your house before, Mai," Maria cocked her head to the side uncertainly, looking up and down the small house, its yellow paint job faded, worn down with time. It was nothing like she expected.

"Yep, this is the house of Ong!" giggled Mai, oblivious to Maria's sudden change of tone. But that was typical Mai, blissfully ignorant of everything that could even concern a little girl, without a care in the world. It was one of the reasons she was Maria's best friend; her cheery, positive outlook made her so much fun to be around, especially if the mood needed some lightening up.

But this also meant she did not sense Maria's hesitation to enter the house, which was so different from the de la Cruz estate. Maria lived on a huge property, free to roam around the mansion and play with her sisters, but the Ong house was so…small, to Maria's disappointment. Where were she and Mai to play? Where did Mai and her sisters play, or did they just get bored all the time? Then Mai grabbed Maria by the wrist and announced she would take her on a tour of the home, but Maria doubted it would last very long. Happily, Mai showed her the room that she shared with her sister, which was not nearly half the size of Maria's own room, and then she showed her around the tiny kitchen and attic.

The whole time, Maria tried to imagine living here, but how could she live without all her nice toys with a small room and no swimming pool? To her, it was unheard of. She wouldn't even know where to fit her wardrobe in a home like this. When Mai took her to see the backyard, Mai's older sister, Anh, was busy sweeping the wooden deck, and Maria bit her lip at the sight of her.

To Maria, Anh was the complete opposite of her sister. Even though she was much taller, her temper was shorter, and whenever Maria saw her, she had a stern look on her face. She had a serious determination in everything she did and wouldn't let anyone get away with messing with her or her sister. Mai always praised her as being kind and inspiring whenever she came up in their conversations, but Maria wasn't too sure. For some reason, Anh didn't seem to like her that much, though she had no clue as to why. Maria had even asked Mai about it once, but Mai said that that's just how Anh was, that her older sister had a "shell" about her that needed to be cracked in order to gain her trust and friendship.

When the two girls stepped outside onto the deck, Anh's back was to them, her long dark brown hair tied into a ponytail, wearing a conical hat to keep the sun above from beating down on her head. As Mai shut the door behind her, Anh turned around, smiled at her sister, but then frowned at Maria. At this, Maria became a little irked at this girl's behavior. She had some nerve! Treating a guest like that.

"It sure is hot," Mai panted, "I'll get some lemonade for the three of us!" With that, she skipped back inside to make the drinks, leaving Maria alone with her older sister.

"Why are you sweeping the deck? It doesn't look very fun," Maria asked Anh, who was older than her by two years.

"Because it's dirty," replied Anh simply as she kept working.

"Don't you have maids to do that for you?" At her estate, Maria's maids did all the chores for her. She never had to sweep the floor once in her entire eight years of life.

"No, I don't," Anh said back, a little bitter. Then she paused her sweeping and muttered, "Not everyone's as spoiled rotten as you."

"Hey! I heard that! I'm not spoiled!" she protested angrily. How dare she be so rude!

"Of course you're not," the other girl shook her head as she went back to cleaning the deck, but Maria could sense her sarcasm.

"I don't know why you don't like me so much. It's not fair," Maria mumbled, putting her hands on her hips, nose in the air.

"Yeah, you're one to talk about fair," Anh snorted, "Look at you, born into such a wealthy family, never having to do any work around the house, yet you don't know how lucky you are. Meanwhile I'm sweeping my own deck, while you judge me for it. Life just isn't fair."

At first, Maria didn't know what to make of the other girl's commentary. Maybe the other girl was just jealous. That must be it. Then she had a brilliant idea. "I know, if you become my friend, I can give you anything you want! Toys, candy, I bet I can even get you a maid to sweep your deck for you!" She clapped her hands merrily, thinking she had made a great breakthrough.

But, contrary to what Maria expected her reaction to be, Anh dropped her broom and whirled around, glaring at her. She narrowed her eyes and spoke like she was holding back irritation. "Idiot. You can't just bribe people to get them to like you! You can't buy friends, they're priceless. You won't get anywhere with that attitude. People might accept that kind of offer, but you won't end up with anything more than low-life jerks surrounding you, trying to take advantage of you. I almost feel sorry for you, having to buy people's friendship instead of earning real ones. But I guess I shouldn't have expected any more from a spoiled rich kid who thinks that money is everything."

Her whole process of thinking had been shattered by Anh's words, and Maria was left speechless, shocked, not even knowing how to answer to that. No one had ever talked to her like that before. But was there truth in the other girl's words? After a few moments of silence, Maria finally regained her wits. "You're wrong! I don't need to bribe people into being my friends! I can earn them too, and real ones at that!"

Anh sighed, and turned away, going back to work. "I'll believe that when I see it." Maria was about to keeping arguing when Mai came back outside onto the deck, carrying a tray with three cold glasses of lemonade. As the three girls sat down on the edge of the deck, sipping their refreshing drinks under the baking sun, Maria pondered Anh's prior outburst. When she looked over, Anh was teasing her sister playfully, accusing her of using too much sugar in the lemonade. Once the three of them all finished drinking, Mai brought the empty glasses back inside to rinse them out and make some more, and Anh retrieved her broom again.

Maria watched her brush for a moment, then stood up and swallowed her pride. "Do-do you want some help with that?" she asked, not meeting the other girl's eyes and holding out her hand.

"No, I don't need your help," replied Anh, who didn't even look up.

"What? Too proud to accept any help?" she snapped back, annoyed at such a quick declination.

At this, Anh stopped abruptly, and turned to face Maria, surprised. Then she burst out laughing. "Too proud? Wow, Maria, I've never heard anyone use that one on me before," Anh giggled. But Maria thought she was laughing at her mockingly, and she blushed self consciously.

"What's wrong with offering a hand?" Maria exclaimed defensively.

"No, there's nothing wrong with that," Anh smiled warmly, composing herself again, "If you really want to help, you can help Mai make the lemonade and make sure she doesn't dump too much sugar into the pitcher." Maria nodded, and bounded back into the house after her friend. After that, Maria visited the Ong household every week, and each time, she asked Anh if the deck needed any sweeping.

* * *

**Present**

"Hey, Maria? You awake yet?" Alfred gently shook her shoulders, and she yawned groggily. "We're landing soon." As Maria stretched her arms and rubbed her eyes, she tried to clear her nebulous thoughts. Where was she again? After looking around and jogging her memory, she remembered she was on her father's private jet. What was she doing here again? Oh yeah, after meeting Alfred and Matthew, she had packed her things and driven to the Teterboro airport where her father said that the jet would be waiting for her. Once she got there, she and Yao found Alfred and Matthew already there, and the four of them boarded the private plane. As soon as she put on her seatbelt, she fell asleep almost immediately. Five hours of restless tossing and turning in her bed did not substitute for a good night's sleep, that's for sure.

Even after dozing off the seven hour flight to London, she was still muzzy and her thoughts were disconnected. Perhaps it was a result of her emotional whirlwind inside of her. She was still extremely angry with Kiku for bailing on her so unexpectedly, but she had this feeling that something was terribly wrong with him. Not to mention her old feelings of love still lingered heavily in her heart. But that's why she was going to London in the first place, right? To find out why all this had happened.

While she was sleeping, she dreamt of the first time she visited the Ong household. Why did she think of that all of a sudden? Was it because of the jet, which reminded her about all those years as a "rich kid?" Frankly, that day was a major turning point in her life. Anh had really left an imprint on her back then, and Maria was glad that she did. But nowadays, she didn't like to think of the Ong family, not after what happened with Mai…

"We are about to land in the private sector of the London City Airport. Please fasten your seatbelts." The voice from the overhead speaker derailed Maria's train of thought. That voice…it was so familiar.

"Hey, Alfred," Maria tapped him on the shoulder, "Who's our pilot?"

"Huh? I don't remember his name, but I think Yao knew him. By the way, Maria thanks so much for letting us come on your jet! This is so wicked cool; I've never been a private flight before!" Alfred said ecstatically.

"It's not my jet," she reminded him staunchly, "But you're welcome." As they spoke, she felt the plane's descent, gradually lowering itself until its wheels finally made contact with the ground. Soon enough, the plane came to a stop, and that familiar male voice came back on overhead.

"We have safely arrived in London, England, and I'd like to say thanks for choosing to fly with the de la Cruz private airlines," the voice chuckled at his own joke, "this has been your humble pilot, Yong Soo."

"Yong Soo?" Maria repeated elatedly. She hadn't seen him since she left the estate!

"Do you know him?" Alfred asked as he unbuckled his seatbelt.

"Yeah, he's my cousin! We used to hang out together all the time before I moved," Maria explained happily, also getting out of her seat.

As departing the jet, Maria, Yao, Alfred, and Matthew waited under the plane for Yong Soo to come down and greet them. "Maria!" he called as she ran up to hug him.

"It's been too long," Maria smiled, "Since when do you fly the jet?"

"Since I got my pilots license," he grinned, "Your dad hired me to fly his jet, and he's a generous employer. But you wouldn't know since you left all of a sudden." He added that last part with a small frown, and Maria couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

"Sorry, but you know me, I couldn't just stay in the estate my whole life. I'm more of a city girl," she replied halfheartedly. Technically, it wasn't lying, but even Yong Soo didn't know the real reason she left. But she wasn't about to tell him now.

"Anyway," Yong Soo said, turning to Yao, "Mr. de la Cruz has a message for you, Yao. He says thanks for accompanying his daughter, and that if there are any other expenses that need to be taken care of, you can just give him a call and he'll handle it. This message is for you because he knows Maria won't want him to pay for anything."

"He's got that right. And he's already paid for our hotel rooms. There isn't anything else I need from him," Maria crossed him arms. She already felt like a mooch, but she didn't have a choice but to ask for his financial assistance this time.

"Also, I'm supposed to go with you guys," Yong Soo grinned even wider. "My boss wants me to look after his daughter as well."

"Hold on, I'm a legal adult, I don't need two babysitters! Especially you. We're the same age!" Maria protested. She already had Yao following her on behalf of her parents, but now Yong Soo too? Talk about overprotective parents.

"Don't think of me as a babysitter," he waved off, "Think of me as an old friend just looking out for you."

"That's okay I guess," Maria accepted reluctantly. Yong Soo could be as stubborn as her sometimes, so there was no point in arguing.

"Good. Anyways, I need to take care of plane. Your bags have been unloaded and are waiting for you inside the airport. How about I meet you in the hotel in about an hour?"

"Sounds like a plan," agreed Yao. Maria nodded as well. Once they dropped off their things at the hotel, they could get to work right away. It was about time she found Kiku.

* * *

Kiku watched the rain pitter patter on the car window as he and his new companion drove through the streets of London. Even though he had never been to England before and the drive was a great time to sight see, his mind was stuck on one fixation. He remembered on rainy days like these, Maria would want to stand on the balcony of the apartment and feel the rain fall on her skin until Kiku convinced her to come back inside before she caught a cold. Most people became dreary on rainy days, but not Maria. She said that she loved the feeling of the rain on her skin and that rainy days were helpful because she didn't have to water her flowers outside. Her sanguine presence always lifted Kiku's spirits, no matter how things happened at his work.

That was just one of the things he loved about her. He loved how she could act so mature yet laugh at the silliest things. He loved how easy it was to talk to her and not feel self conscious or have to worry about be rebuffed with her. He loved how whenever someone asked her to try a new dish, she would taste it willingly no matter what it looked like. He especially loved how if the dish tasted terrible, she'd say it outright, but then give tips on how to make it better. That was one of her best qualities, in his opinion, how she was never afraid to tell it how it was with complete honesty, but then always being willing to help improve whatever it was that was criticized.

But the trait he absolutely adored the most was something that a lot of girls around her age severely lacked: confidence. She never revealed any insecurity about herself, and Kiku strongly believed it was because she didn't think she had any. Of course, she wasn't perfect all the time, and she embarrassed herself many times with him, but she always laughed it off and moved on. He clearly remembered her telling him once, "Want to hear my favorite philosophy? If the world's constantly turning and spinning, we're going to get dizzy and we're going to make mistakes."

"Oi, Kiku, are you alright?" asked his companion, pulling him back to reality, "Spacing out on me already?"

"Oh, sorry," he apologized to the Briton, a blonde man with really thick eye brows and a frank personality. Kiku had only just met him a few hours ago, giving his taxi driver from the airport the paper with the address that Francis had given him. Once he arrived, the man, who later introduced himself as Arthur Kirkland, opened the door, seeming very annoyed about being interrupted from whatever he was doing, and Kiku thought it best to follow Francis's advice and say he was a good friend of Alfred's.

"Oh, you know my younger cousin Al? Well, come in I guess," Arthur had said, a tad bit more relaxed. From there, Kiku explained that he needed to find Laura Bonnefoy as soon as possible. At the mention of that last name, Arthur grunted slightly, but he nodded, saying he knew where she lived in a city just outside of London. Kiku felt bad about asking for a ride from a man who he had just met, but he needed to get there right away. Arthur seemed to sense his urgency and agreed to take him there since he had just about finished his latest article.

And now they were on their way to her house in the downpour, just passing the city limits. "It's okay," Arthur replied to Kiku's apology, "I know that look. There was a dreamy look on your face when you spaced out. Who's the girl?"

"W-what?" Kiku blinked, startled by his observation.

"Oh please," Arthur glanced over at him briefly, "I'm a reporter, it's my job to read into people. I've seen that kind of look before. You were thinking about a girl, weren't you?"

"I…yeah," Kiku admitted, "I can't seem to get her out of my head."

"Is she your girlfriend?"

"Well, she used to be. But not anymore, I had to let her go," Kiku murmured, more for himself than Arthur.

"If I had to guess, I'd say you love her. Just judging from that look," Arthur said plainly, this time keeping his eyes on the slippery road ahead of him.

"I do…" Kiku whispered, barely audible, but Briton still heard.

"I know it's not my place to say, but I don't think you should have let her go, if that's the case. Especially if you know you're going to regret it."

"But I had to. There's something I have to take care of, and I can't let her get sucked into it as well." Again, it sounded as if Kiku were just trying to convince himself that he had done the right thing as he continued to stare out the side window. Arthur, not being one to pry, remained silent for the remainder of the drive, leaving Kiku to his thoughts.

Soon enough, they pulled up in front of their destination, Laura Bonnefoy's place, a small yet handsome house, just like any other in the neighborhood. But as Kiku and Arthur rang the doorbell, Kiku noticed that the plants on the porch under the awning were withered and dried out. The grass could also use some mowing. They waited for a few minutes and there was still no answer, and he was starting to get anxious, and Arthur could tell as well.

"So you really need to see her that bad?" Arthur asked, seeing Kiku nervously tapping his foot.

"Hai…I hope nothing bad's happen to her."

Arthur sighed. "I know Laura well enough. She's much better company than her frog of a brother." As he spoke, he knelt down and lifted the door mat, revealing a hidden house key. "I don't like barging in uninvited, but it looks like you seriously need to talk to her." He inserted the key and unlocked the door.

As soon as Kiku stepped in and called her name, he knew there would be no answer. There was no one home, and he was getting a bad vibe from the eerily empty home. As the two searched the house for Laura in vain, they noticed the dust that had collected on the tables and picture frames, more dead plants, cobwebs in the ceiling corners, and when Arthur checked the fridge, the milk, cheese and yogurt was long expired.

"She hasn't been here for bloody ages! No wonder I haven't heard from her in a while," Arthur shook his head, puzzled.

Meanwhile, Kiku was struggled to keep back his apprehension. Was he too late? He needed to know where she went. Laura was the only one he knew from the London branch of Teramist, the only one who could lead him to the main database… Then he saw the house telephone sitting on the counter, a little red button on the side blinking, signaling that there were unanswered messages on the voicemail box. With nothing else to go on, he pressed the play back button and listened. The first two messages were from telemarketers, so he skipped them, the next one was from her mother, but there was no relevant information in that one. The one after that however, was from a man with a heavy Russian accent, and was dated from two weeks ago.

"Laura, it's Ivan, I just received your email. I hope I'm not too late. Whatever you do, don't accept the promotion or the transfer! Its bad news, I'm sure of it. Listen to me, da? Please just come to my place first! My address is-" Kiku paused the message to find a piece of blank paper and a pen. The warning tone in the message was all he needed to hear to know that Ivan was connected to Laura's disappearance. The mention of a promotion also meant that it was linked to their work. Once he was ready, he played the message again and scribbled down the address belonging to whoever this Ivan person was.

"This Ivan bloke seems to know a thing or two about what's going on here," Arthur frowned, "Are you going to pay him a visit?"

"I have to," Kiku answered, "But I think we should go back to your place first. He lives in London, so I can just catch a cab later tonight. I've already dragged you all the way out here for nothing."

"No, it's fine. Whatever's going on, it looks like bad news, and I'm willing to help. Laura was my friend, too. Besides, I needed another juicy story for the newspaper," the Briton halfsmiled. "But before I can write it, I have to know all the facts."

"Well, I guess you might as well come along," Kiku said slowly, but as he turned to go, he let out a long yawn.

"Why don't we still head back to my place? Looks like you could go for a quick nap and some coffee before we meet this Ivan. I can take you there later this evening, after you get some rest. You're still jetlagged from the time change," Arthur pointed out. "There's no point in you falling asleep once we get to this address."

"Well...I guess you're right," Kiku sighed. He had been awake for over 24 hours, mostly because he couldn't manage to get any rest on the plane. His worries wouldn't let him get any shut eye. A nice cat nap was well needed.

At first, they drove home in silence, Kiku secretly contemplating what do to about his new companion. Bringing him along was dangerous, and even before he came to England, Kiku had resolved to do this alone. But then again, Arthur was a reporter, and Kiku could use this to his advantage. Perhaps if he got the right amount of evidence, he could reveal the atrocities that Teramist had been committing and bring them to justice. Arthur could publish the story and the whole world would know about this appalling conspiracy. That way, should Kiku fail to crash the database, Teramist would be forced to shut down and answer for its transgressions.

But did Kiku have the right to suck Arthur into this mess? For Arthur to help, Kiku would have to tell him everything he knew, but even that very knowledge could get him killed. Just for knowing the truth, Arthur would become a target. He seemed like a good man, and he had even helped Kiku, a total stranger, get into Laura's house.

"Arthur, why did you trust me so easily?" Kiku blurted out unintentionally, and then glanced over at Arthur, embarrassed.

"What do you mean?" the Briton asked, not taking his eyes off the road.

"Well, it's just that, you came all the way out here just because I asked you too. You didn't even know me. The only connection I have with you is Alfred, and I could have easily lied about that."

"I don't really know how to explain it. Like I said, I'm a reporter. I've seen all sorts of people while doing my job at all sorts of scenes. I know what desperation, fear, and pain looks like. I've written about those kinds of things too many times. Whatever you're doing, it's really important to you. I can see that much," Arthur told him. "And as for Alfred, your surname's Honda, right? My cousin's mentioned you once or twice over the phone."

Kiku chuckled at his reply, "I hardly ever meet people as perceptive as you."

"You seem like a sharp bloke yourself," Arthur returned the compliment, but then his voice grew serious, "I can also tell that you know more about Laura and this situation than you're letting on. Why don't you tell me what's going on?"

"…Hai, I do. But the less you know, the better, trust me. Just by telling you, I endanger your life," Kiku warned grimly.

"Kiku, please," Arthur smirked, "If humans were afraid of knowing, where would civilization be? I believe it's always better to know the truth than be left in the dark. That's why I became a reporter. But if you need some time to think about how to put it into words, you can tell me over tea when we get back to my place."

Kiku blinked. His answer caught him completely off guard. But then he took his words into account and smiled, "Okay, reporter, I hope you make good tea."

* * *

Lovino checked his watch again. 2:47 am. Grunting, he continued walking alone aimlessly through the streets of sleeping Madrid. The streets were practically empty, like it was a ghost town. With all the disappearances, no one dared come out after midnight. It was actually advised that people stay in their homes and even leave work early if they had too, for fear of running into the mysterious force that caused defenseless citizens and tourists alike to vanish right off the streets. But that was exactly why Lovino had been wandering around for the past three hours. He was determined to come face-to-face with whatever was terrorizing his city. Rumors had begun that a ghost was snatching the victims, or a monster was running loose, eating people whole. But Lovino didn't believe in such stupid stories.

Of course, police officers had been sent to patrol the city, but not once did they come across anything out of the ordinary. But Lovino knew it was because they traveled in groups. Whatever this motherfucker was, it only targeted those who walked alone. So this was his plan, to mosey around Madrid, offering himself as bait, until the sneaky bastard decided to attack. And of course, Antonio had no idea that Lovino was even out here by himself, or else he would have never allowed it. It's too dangerous, he'd say. But Lovino wasn't a total idiot; he had his own pistol hidden in one pocket of his coat, and his cell phone in the other, with his office on speed dial 1.

He wasn't even sure where he was anymore, after three uneventful hours. It was too fucking dark to see unless directly under a street light. He sighed and stopped under one of the street lights to check his watch again. 3:06 am. Perhaps it was time to call it a night and try again tomorrow, or else he'd end up sleep walking into the office tomorrow morning and Antonio would know something's up. As he was about to head back the way he came, since he didn't know exactly what street he was on, he heard a distinct laugh coming from an alley to his left. However, he couldn't see past the circle lit by the street lamp above. The alley was pitch-black and he scowled as he tried in vain to peer into it, but didn't dare leave the lit area. Slowly, he put his hand in his pocket to feel his pistol.

"Well, what do we have here?" said the voice from the alley with a tone of delight. It sounded like the voice of a young man, not older than 25.

"_¿Quién eres tú? Muéstrate!_" demanded Lovino, this time putting his other hand in his other pocket.

The voice paused, and then answered disappointedly, "Aw, you don't speak English, either? So you can't understand me. Damn. Now this won't be as fun."'

Lovino set his lips straight, "Yeah, I speak English, but that means you don't speak Spanish. How do you get around here without speaking any Spanish?" As he spoke, he pressed down on the 1 button on his phone, talking loudly to drown out any sounds his phone made before the voicemail started.

"Oh, I don't get around much at all, really," replied the voice, "I only get to come out at night, you see. The only language I really need to know is the one of fear. I only need to know if someone's going to run, or attempt to fight back. You don't look like you're going to run away."

"No, I'm not going anywhere just yet," Lovino said evenly, "Not until you tell me who the hell you are. Are you the one who's been kidnapping people?" The call had gone through, and the voicemail had begun in time to record Lovino's last question.

The voice chuckled evilly, "Am I the one? Yes, I guess that's me. I've seen you walking through the streets for hours now, like you want to be taken! Well, I can arrange that."

"So you're my damn culprit," Lovino glowered, "Why have you been abducting all these people? And where are you hiding them? Tell me, you fucking bastard!"

"Tsk tsk, such a foul mouth you have there! But there's no reason to be so angry." Then the voice began to laugh harder, maniacally, "You'll be finding out first hand!"

Lovino pulled out his pistol and aimed it toward the alley, but he still couldn't see his enemy. He couldn't kill him either, not without first finding out where all the victims were being kept. Footsteps from within the alley told him that his enemy was drawing closer, but at an amble pace. The other man stopped just before entering the lamp-lit area, and Lovino could just make out his silhouette. "Come any closer, and I'll shoot!" Lovino warned, ready to inflict a hindering wound rather than a mortal one.

Instead, the man just laughed again. "You fool," he snickered. Suddenly, someone struck Lovino across the temple from behind. He staggered, dropping his pistol. There's two of them? He hadn't even heard anyone come up from behind. Before he could whirl around to see his other attacker, the other man surged forward with incredible speed, grabbed Lovino by his forehead, and slammed him to the asphalt ground. Lovino fell the blood trickle down the side of his face as he lay sprawled on the street, unable to move, disoriented.

"You weren't supposed to kill him!" scolded a female voice, which must have belonged to whoever attacked him from behind.

"He's not dead, probably just has a little brain trauma, that's all. Besides, we don't need _all_ of him!" hissed the man. Lovino's vision blurred and he felt his consciousness slipping away, but not before his hand slid into his pocket and pressed End Call while his attackers argued with each other.

"Yeah, but we still need all of them alive. You know that. Now we have to rush back to bandage his head," said the female voice, frustrated.

"He just _had_ to fight back. What a bother. The ones who try to fight back are so annoying. Good thing we don't have to keep them alive for much longer," sneered the man. Their voices were the last Lovino heard before he blacked out.

* * *

From the Author: This chapter was a little short, but this seemed like the best place to end it for now. Just an FYI, this story...well it's being spontaneously written. As in, I'm making it up along the way! My other story Double Vision was carefully planned, but this one is more off the top of my head :) Even I don't know how it's going to end, but I'm sure I'll think of some way to go out with a bang! Also, as you can see, I'm throwing in more characters! In case you didn't know or guess, here's a list of all the characters who's human names you might not be familiar with:

Wang Li Xiao: Hong Kong -Wang Xiao Mei (MeiMei): Taiwan -Im Yong Soo: South Korea -Ong Anh: Vietnam -Maria de la Cruz: Philippines (duh)

Yep, so those are the ones I decided needed a role in this story :) Anyway, thanks for reading, favoriting, alert and of course reviewing! And please review as well! I really appreciate it!

**hetaliaforever123: **Thanks! I'm glad you like the pairing! :) Kiku's a personal favorite too!

**NinjaRoll: **Aww thanks I try haha! Glad the style is satisfactory! :D

**chibibeanie: **Secrets plague the characters in this story ;) And I wasnt planning on Poland, but I bet I can work him in!

**Guest: **Thanks! The details will be revealed in due time;)

Thanks to my awesome audience! I love hearing from you guys (hint hint) and I hope you guys are as excited as I am! Thanks again!


	4. Chapter 4: Found

Disclaimer: Can't say I own Hetalia. Cuz I don't.

Note: Wow, this chapter. I don't know what to say about it. I guess you can just get on with it, then. Enjoy! :)

* * *

Yong Soo laughed when he glanced over to see Maria gazing out the taxi's window, fascination in her wide eyes. She was amazed by the city's architecture, by its people and their fashion. Watching her stare at everything in awe reminded Yong Soo of when they were younger. Every weekend they would get together, along with Mai and occasionally Li Xiao if his family was in town visiting, and they would never, ever get bored. It was mostly because they were all easily amused, especially Maria like she was now, but just being with each other was always good fun.

But gradually with time, they began to grow apart as they got older. Li Xiao reached the age where he was old enough to help Yao run the Jade Dragon, cleaning tables and cooking rice, and so he stopped visiting as often, and they rarely ever saw him. Mai, Yong Soo, and Maria would still hang out every week, but then when they had each turned fifteen, everything changed all at once for the trio. Yong Soo remembered the devastation and the shock that crashed over him when he first heard the news, barely able to believe it was true. But it was even stated in the local newspapers, and the tears at the funeral were all too real. And after Mai's death, Maria wasn't the same again. For a few months, she didn't smile, or joke around, but just focused on her studies.

With time, however, Maria seemed to have healed, her beautiful smile coming out again. But Yong Soo had known her well enough to notice the subtle changes in her personality and habits. While she was still lighthearted and cheerful for the most part, it was as if a new determination drove her to strive for perfection when it came to school. She became strong-willed, and even asked Yao to teach her martial arts and self-defense. And Yong Soo also noticed that she never wanted to hang out at the estate. Every chance she got, she went out with her friends, away from home. Even still, he believed she had gotten much better, her heart healed twice as strong as before. And so he never expected her to get up and move away as soon as she turned eighteen.

He was glad, no, overjoyed, to finally see his favorite cousin again; family get-togethers were never the same without her. But he didn't imagine that he would be helping her find her boyfriend, or ex-boyfriend. Normal girls probably would have cried and sulked over a break up, but not go as far as to seek him out, but Yong Soo trusted Maria's judgment. It was actually kind of exciting, like a giant Where's Waldo game, just in London with a Japanese guy instead. He wondered what Maria would say once they found this Kiku person, but he would sure like to give him hell for ditching his younger cousin (Maria always argued that they were the same age, but he was born a month before, making him undeniably older).

"We just _have_ to try some English food while we're here!" Maria said excitedly as they passed a café.

"I wouldn't get your hopes up if I were you," mutter Yao on the other side of Yong Soo, who sat in the middle. He glanced out the back window to check if another taxi carrying Alfred and Matthew was still following close behind, which it was. While they were dropping off their things at the hotel, Alfred had gotten another call from Francis, who asked if they had reach London yet. When Alfred said yes, they had, Francis explained that he had given Kiku his friend Arthur's address, saying that it was more than likely that Kiku went there, making that a good place to check first. So here they were, on their way to this Arthur Kirkland's place, and apparently he was another good friend of Yao's and he was the twins' older cousin.

"So what's the story behind this Kiku guy?" asked Yong Soo curiously, "Why are you so determined to find him? It is just because he dumped you?"

"That's part of it. I think I definitely deserve more than a stupid letter," Maria grumbled irritably, but then explained, "Apparently, he the company he works for, Teramist, isn't what it seems to be and when we checked his apartment, it was trashed, like someone was looking for him, or something. I want to know what's going on…also, I have this bad feeling like he's in trouble…I don't really know how to explain it."

As she spoke, the taxi pulled up in front of the apartment building with the correct address. As Maria stepped out after paying the driver, she noticed a man with long blonde wavy locks sitting on a bench outside the apartment complex, as if he were waiting for someone. When Yong Soo and Yao came up next to her, the blonde man caught sight of Yao and stood up with a grin. Meanwhile another taxi pulled up to the curb and Alfred and Matthew hopped out.

"F-Francis?" Yao stuttered, surprised, "What are you doing here? You didn't say you were coming."

"Yeah, dude, since when were you in London?" asked Alfred, who grinned back at the Frenchman.

"Well, I decided I'd pay my old friend Arthur a visit," winked Francis, "I haven't seen him in a while. And if I just so happened to drop in the same time you guys did, then I guess that's a bonus."

"That's so like you," Matthew shook his head, exasperate, but he was still smiling, "Why were you just sitting out here by yourself?"

"Well, I knew you guys were on your way, so I'd thought I'd just wait for you," Francis replied, "I figured Arthur might not kick me out if I came with a group."

"I swear, you two argue more than Gilbert and Roderich," Matthew chuckled.

"And that's saying something," Yao sighed. "Ludwig had to stop his brother almost all the time." Maria didn't know what the heck anyone was talking about anymore, but Yao sure did. He seemed to know just about everybody. It must be a perk from running his own restaurant.

"Now there's someone I haven't seen in a while," said Alfred, who seemed to be recalling memories. "Haven't seen Ludwig since we graduated high school. I remember that he yelled a lot and had a short fuse, but he was still a cool guy, right Matt?"

"Yeah, and Feliciano would always tag along with him," his brother halfsmiled at his own recollection, "Those two were complete opposites but they were best friends. I wonder how they're doing these days."

"Who are they?" Maria wondered aloud, still totally lost from the conversation.

"Feliciano and Ludwig? Just some old friends. Their occupations took them out of America, so you probably don't know them. But Kiku's really close to them, ever since high school. Those three hung out a lot back then. He didn't mention them at all to you?" Yao raised an eyebrow.

"No, not once," Maria frowned. Seems like Kiku kept a lot from her, and that was really starting to get on her nerves.

"So are you Kiku's girl?" the Frenchman asked, offering his hand. She nodded as she shook it.

"His ex, as of right now, but that's why I'm here," she explained, trying to be pleasant, but Francis was a little too close for comfort.

"Wow, I didn't think Kiku had such good taste," he winked again. If Maria didn't know any better, she might have thought he was hitting on her, his voice suggestive…but he knew she was still after Kiku for a reason, right?

Yong Soo seemed to sense her unease, and stepped in between her and the Frenchman, introducing himself, "And I'm Yong Soo, her cousin from Korea, da ze!" He could almost hear Maria thanking him inside her head. But, hey, he was just doing his job-her dad did ask him to watch over her in his stead.

"Nice to meet you both," Francis said cordially, "Now time to meet ol' eyebrows here!" He gestured to the apartments, and Maria nodded. Then the six of them made their way up a few flight of stairs until they reach the Kirkland residence.

Alfred knocked on the door, waited a minute, then startled everyone by hollering, "HEY ARTIE! IT'S YOUR COUSIN AL! OPEN UP!"

Not even half a minute later, a blonde man threw open the door with a very cross look upon his face, angrily scolding, "Blimey, Alfred! Do you want the whole bloody complex to come and kick you out?"

Alfred shrugged, "I just wanted to make sure you were home, that's all."

"Sorry about that," Matthew apologized for his brother's unruly behavior, "We wanted to surprise you with a visit!"

"Well, okay, but who are the rest of these people? You can't just bring a whole party into my apartment!" He surveyed everyone's faces, Maria trying to look affable and Yong Soo giving a thumbs up. His eyes rested on Yao and he calmed down a bit, "'Ello, Yao, it's been a while."

"Too long," Yao greeted politely, "Sorry for coming without any notice."

"I guess that's alright…" Then Arthur looked to the last person. "Is-is that…what the bloody hell is that frog doing here?"

"Bonjour, Arthur," Francis smirked, "Now why don't you be a good host and let us in already?"

Arthur, however, looked ready to hit him before that happened. But then he glanced over at everyone else and straightened up, "Well, with this many people it's going to be cramped…not to mention that I already have another guest. But I supposed you can come in." He sighed, defeated purely by his own etiquette. "The place is a bit untidy, mind you. I didn't expect any visitors to be dropping in."

He led them to the small kitchen, asking if anyone wanted any tea, but they declined. Maria already felt like she was being rude enough just by popping up uninvited, but that really couldn't be helped this time.

"My name's Maria de la Cruz," she said, holding out her hand, hoping that a formal introduction would make up for her discourtesy. As he shook her hand however, she heard a door to their right creaked open-it was probably a bedroom door. There was a sharp intake of breath, as the person who had just come into the kitchen stopped in his tracks. When Maria turned around to see who it was, her polite smile faded and her jaw dropped instantly.

Kiku stared back at her with eyes just as wide as hers. He had just finished washing his face after a short nap in Arthur's room and had come out expecting to find Arthur polishing up his latest news article. He definitely did not expect to find his friends in this apartment all the way in London. And he positively did not expect to find Maria shaking hands with Arthur, in this apartment all the way across the Atlantic Ocean in London. What in the world was she doing here? In London? She should have been in New York, not London!

Now that Maria had found him, she had no idea what to say. Honestly, she didn't expect to find him so soon, so she didn't really plan this far ahead. There were so many ways she could have reacted. She could have been angry, overjoyed, aloof…but instead she just stood there with her mouth hanging open in shock, like an idiot. An awkward silence filled the room fast.

Finally Kiku spoke, knowing there was no way he could get out of this easily, "M-Maria…it's you…"

For reasons unknown to her, Maria suddenly grew irate. Her voice grew dangerously low. "Two hours…after dating me for four months, you left me sitting in that restaurant for two hours by myself. And then you don't even have the decency to break up with me in person. All I get is a damn letter. And if that's not bad enough, I come all the way to freaking England to find you, and that's all you have to say to me? Of course it's me, you idiot!"

Her tirade was like a slap in the face. But it brought Kiku back to his senses, and he remembered why he did all of that to her in the first place. She couldn't be here, she couldn't know anything. It was for her own safety. Then Kiku masked his true feeling behind spurious anger, and forced himself snap back at her, "What are you doing here? I left you for a reason, if that isn't already obvious. We're over. Done. That's it. I have nothing to do with you anymore. I didn't think you were this stupid. Are you that desperate to come all this way here?" He knew that the only way to get her to leave was to be harsh. She was too smart to fall for anything else, but this was enough to push her away, drive her back, as long as he was convincing enough.

"Kiku…" was all Maria could utter. This was the last thing she imagined would happen. Who was this? There was no way this was the same Kiku she had met four months ago at that party. No way was this the same guy who always offered her his coat on windy days, or surprised her with a bouquet of roses for no reason in particular.

"I mean it," Kiku hissed, "When I said I didn't love you, it means I don't love you! How many times do I have to say it? Do you want me to tell you that I got bored of you? That you started to annoy me?" Inwardly, his heart was breaking at the sight of her alarmed expression. But he knew she would never come back for him after saying that.

Everyone else just stood there, gawking at him. Yao, Alfred, Matthew, and Francis had never seen him like this, so cruel and cold. Arthur however just frowned and looked away, as if he were not meant to see this, but Kiku had told him his situation over tea before his nap. Arthur knew that this had to be done. Yong Soo didn't know what to think. This was the guy his cousin had been in love with?

"You son-of-a-bitch…" Maria whispered, her eyes unreadable. With every word her anger boiled inside of her. How dare he talk to her like that! Treat her like some silly little girl. Maria knew she was better than that. This wasn't the man she fell in love with. This wasn't him.

There was another heavy silence. But after a tense moment, it was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Now who is it?" grumbled Arthur as he trudged to the door, annoyed. He opened the door, thinking that nothing could surprise him more after everything he saw and heard earlier that day, but he was wrong. "Gilbert? You're here too?"

On his door step stood the albino, who grinned, but there was an ominous gleam in his eyes, as if he knew something. Behind him, Elizaveta waited, but she was different that Arthur remembered. She wasn't wearing that happy expression as usual; instead, her face was grim and serious. "Hey Arthur," Gilbert said, but none too courteously. Then he pushed past Arthur, who yelled "Hey!" Elizaveta followed him into the kitchen, where they walked in on a strange scene. Maria was still glowering at Kiku who had his arms crossed as the others still fidgeted nervously.

When Arthur stormed back into kitchen, furious at the two newcomers, everyone else finally looked over at them. Gilbert smirked when he saw Kiku, who gave him a questioning look.

"Gilbert? What are you doing here?" Alfred inquired.

"And Elizaveta, too?" added Matthew.

The red eyed man chortled. The hunt was too easy. Just too easy, or maybe he was just too awesome. Gilbert turned to Kiku and announced, "Honda Kiku, I'm here to apprehend you for crimes against humanity. If you resist, I will not be afraid to use force."

Maria, Arthur, Alfred, Matthew, Francis, Yao, and Yong Soo-they were all stunned beyond belief. Kiku, on the other hand, clenched his fists and grinded his teeth. He expected Teramist to send people after him, but he never imagined it would someone he knew.

"G-Gilbert…you're not being serious, are you?" Francis stammered. The albino was known to mess around, but this time, his voice was stern and dark.

"He's not kidding, Francis," Elizaveta confirmed sullenly, "We're here on work."

"This is mental! What legitimacy do you have to take him in?" demanded Arthur.

In response, Gilbert reached into his pocket and produced a black leather wallet. When he flipped it open, a silver badge with an official Spanish police seal gleamed at them.

"Okay, where does someone like you get a badge like that? And why is Elizaveta here?" Matthew frowned.

"Sometimes when I get an official job, my employer gives me a badge. This particular assignment is from Spain," Gilbert explained as his put away the wallet. "And Lizzie here is my new apprentice."

"Why are you doing this? I thought you and Kiku were friends!" exclaimed Yao

The smirk on Gilbert's face faded and he said firmly, "If Kiku committed a crime, then he has to answer for it. I can't let him off the hook just because we were friends. A crime is a crime."

While he spoke, Kiku met Arthur's eyes, and a silent understanding passed between them before Arthur nodded slightly. The Briton marched right in front of Gilbert, and then seemed to explode.

"Get the bloody hell out of my house before I call the British police! That Spanish badge means nothing here! You have no right to be here!" shouted Arthur feverishly.

"Look, Arthur, get out of my way before the awesome me makes you get out of my way," threatened Gilbert. Then Alfred came to his cousin's defense and so did Yao and Francis, joining the Briton and blocking the albino's way. They all started yelling at once, Alfred even waving his arms for emphasis. Meanwhile, Kiku, quiet as a mouse, slipped back into the bedroom he came from, planning to use the fire escape to climb down three stories.

Maria saw him go, and decided she had to follow him. But there was no way she was going to climbing down the fire escape with her maroon skirt. So she took the easy way out to head Kiku off by simply walking past the others, who were causing quite a ruckus while arguing with each other, and went out the door. Once she was back at the complex's entrance, she waited on the steps where they had found Francis until she saw that Kiku had successfully snuck away and was heading toward a dark blue sedan parked across the street. Without making a sound, she followed him across the street, keeping behind him and out of sight. As he got in the car and put on his seat belt, Maria hopped in the shotgun seat and put her own seatbelt on, startling Kiku so much that he jumped and bumped his head on the roof of the car.

"Ow," he said as he rub the top of his head. Then he turned to Maria, who just sat there with her arms folded across her chest. "What are you doing? Didn't you hear a word I said back there?"

"Of course I heard. It's probably the most I've heard you talk at once. But you still didn't tell me everything," Maria huffed indignantly, "I want to know what's up with Teramist."

"Teramist…" he echoed anxiously, "That's just my job, remember? The pharmaceutical company."

"You're lying, Kiku. It's not just some stupid pharmacy place," she snapped, "All you've done today is lie." By that, she meant his harsh outburst earlier. It had to be a lie, right? Just an act to throw her off…she hoped.

"I wasn't lying earlier! I'll say it one more time, I don't love you! I don't want to see you anymore," he insisted, not meeting her eyes.

Then Maria had an idea. There was perhaps one way she could find out if he was lying for real, or if he really was telling the truth. But…

"Just forget about Teramist, Maria," Kiku continued, "Just go home."

Her idea had its drawbacks. If it didn't work, well, that would be bad. Not to mention very confusing for her own emotions. It could easily backfire…

"It would be better for everyone if you just left, trust me," he went on, but Maria wasn't listening at all anymore.

Should she do it? What the hell, might as well try. While Kiku was still in mid sentence, Maria leaned in and kissed him full on the lips, cutting him off. One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi, four Mississippi… Maria counted in her head four seconds before he finally pulled back. That's all she needed to know.

"I knew it!" she clapped her hands happily; "I knew you were lying!"

"W-what?" he stammered, perplexed.

"Come on, Kiku, give me some credit," she rolled her eyes, "After dating you for four months, I know how to make your walls come down. You hesitated for four whole seconds! If you really didn't love me, it only would have been for about two."

"I-I was just stunned! Surprised! For all you know, maybe I'm just shameless and was just using you for… for pleasure!" He tried desperately to throw her off one last time, but Maria just giggled at his response.

"For pleasure," she laughed, "Trust me, Kiku, I know what it feels like to be used. And I know that's not your thing!"

"Maria…" he trailed off sadly. She had figured him out so easily! He should have tried harder. Now things could only get worse for her.

"Look," she began, "It's pretty obvious that something's weird and bad is going on here. But you can tell me on the way to the restaurant

"Excuse me?"

"Well, it's only a matter of time before that albino guy comes out here to find you. If I were you, I'd step on it."

"Oh, right," Kiku said as he turned on the ignition.

As he pulled onto the street, Maria asked, "Do you even know how to drive here in Europe?"

"Of course I do," he replied, "The basics are the same, really, just a few slight rule changes and you drive on the other side of the road. So…now that you're here…"

Maria cleared her throat. "It's like, 7 o'clock already. I think you owe me dinner."

At first, Kiku hesitated. He had planned to visit this Ivan person, but now that Maria was with him, he couldn't just take her along… "Okay, fine. I think there's some places to eat up ahead. But it won't be fancy since this was…well, last minute."

"Fine with me. I just want to try some authentic English food."

* * *

By the time Feliciano got off the phone, tears were streaming down his cheeks like rivers. Without another word, he gave Ludwig, who was patiently waiting on the couch for him to finish his call, a flying tackle hug. Antonio had called not five minutes ago, asking to talk to the Italian. The Spaniard himself seemed…distraught.

"What happened?" asked Ludwig as Feliciano buried in his face in the German's shoulder, the tears soaking his shirt.

"It's L-Lovino! He's g-g-gone missing!" he wailed. "They think h-he's been k-kidnapped by the mass m-m-murderer!"

Ludwig didn't know what to say. He had never really been on good terms with the Italian older brother, who always called him a "potato bastard," but he was Feli's brother. If Gilbert had been kidnapped, Ludwig supposed he would be just a distressed, but he couldn't really relate because he knew his albino brother could take care of himself. He racked his brain for comforting words, and finally said, "Well, they don't really know if this culprit is a murderer since there are no bodies turning up. Lovino could still be alive, just being held somewhere."

"What if he's been hurt? _Fratello_! I want to find him again!" Feliciano sobbed.

"Feli…" Ludwig paused, and then sighed. "Calm down. Why don't we go back to Spain and help Antonio find your brother?"

"Really? You'll go with me?" Feliciano sniffed, wiping his eyes.

"Yeah, sure. I'll go book our flights already," Ludwig forced himself to smile. He honestly doubted that they could do anything to help, especially if a whole detective agency was stumped by this case, but if it would make Feliciano feel better, than so be it. If Ludwig didn't go with him, Feli might do something stupid and go look for Lovino by himself, and end up getting taken. This way, Ludwig could at least look after him.

"You're such a good friend!" he chirped, and Ludwig was glad to see the Italian smile again. "Together, we'll find _fratello_ in no time!"

* * *

"Dinner at some random café?" Maria raised an eyebrow at Kiku as they walked into the small shop somewhere in the midst of London.

"Well, if I had known you were coming and demanding that I'd take you out today, then I would've made reservations or looked up some nicer places to eat, but you gave me no notice. At all," Kiku said defensively. They took a table near the giant window that looked out into the street, which probably wasn't the best idea for someone being hunted down, but they had driven so deep into London, making turns without knowing where they were going, that there was no way Gilbert would be able to seek them out so easily.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing we're not at some five-star restaurant, because I'm actually not that hungry, so I'll get something small," Maria said as she searched the menu for something interesting. "Hmm…scones? I've never tried one of those before. I think I'll get some of that."

Kiku started to suggest that she order something else, but then decided against it. Perhaps professionally made scones were better than the ones Arthur had served back at the apartment. He shuddered as he recalled forcing those so-called pastries down his throat to be polite. "Okay, I'll go order, then," he told her as he got up to go to the cashier. A few minutes later, he returned with their food on a tray.

As Maria examined her food, which was looked rather simple and bland, Kiku started up small talk, in the hopes that this would distract her from questioning about Teramist. "So, who was that other Asian guy with you at the apartment?"

"Yong Soo? Oh, he's my cousin and one of my best friends. I haven't seen him in a long time, until he flew us over here," Maria said as she picked up the scone.

"Oh, good," Kiku chuckled at his own paranoia, "I thought maybe someone else already had their eyes on you."

"Ew, I know too much about Yong Soo to even picture that! You should have heard the things he said about girls when we were younger. Thank goodness he's mellowed out." But when Maria took a bite from her pastry, she gagged, but managed to swallow it. "What the heck!" she exclaimed after chugging some of her glass of water. Then she eyed Kiku's dish. "What did you get?"

"Fish and chips," Kiku answered, having chosen to play it safe with something vaguely familiar. It was nothing compared to the exotic taste of the food at the Jade Dragon, but they were in England, so it was to be expected.

"Switch with me!" Maria commanded.

"What? Why do I have to?"

"Because you're the guy, you're supposed to treat the girl," Maria insisted. Normally, she tended to lean toward a feministic outlook, but she really wanted to get rid of this food.

"You're cruel," Kiku laughed as Maria switched their plates, "Playing the gentleman guilt-trip card like that."

"And that's the nicest card in my hand," Maria smiled playfully, "There are so many other cards I could have used. Be thankful I've never pulled the 'time-of-the-month' card on you."

"Well, it's much appreciated," he smiled back. Then something caught his eye in a display window of a jewelry shop across the street. "See that necklace over there?" he pointed to a dazzling ruby necklace that seemed to glint as they stared. "Ruby would look good on you," Kiku said, a little shyly.

Now, normally, Maria would blush; she loved it when Kiku said such sweet things to her like that! But this time, she couldn't help but grimace at the necklace, and it didn't go unnoticed by him.

"Is something wrong? Was it something I said?" he asked quickly, frowning.

"Um, no, it's nothing. What you said about rubies just reminded me of something my friend said before she…never mind," she shook her head abruptly, "I just don't think ruby red is my color." Maria desperately wanted to change the subject, and while racking her brain for a topic, she suddenly remembered there was a more serious situation at hand. "What about Teramist?" she demanded, making Kiku sigh.

"Look, Maria, I can't tell you. After tonight, you need to go back to America as soon as possible! It's just too dangerous, and I really mean it this time," he emphasized.

"Well, guess what. I'm not leaving until I hear the whole story," Maria folded her arms across her chest once more. Kiku should have seen this coming; she was always stubborn and headstrong, with almost everything she did. But then again, that was another one of her best qualities. She never did anything halfheartedly—she always did everything with her best effort and concentration, and that was a valuable trait in itself.

"Maria…" His voice faltered under her determined stare. "Okay, fine. I'll tell you under one condition."

"And what would that be?"

"If you swear that you'll refrain for interfering at all and go home once you know the truth, then I'll tell you," he stated evenly.

She hesitated. Could she do that? Of course, she had intended to help, but now… Kiku was definitely involved with something bigger than she would've ever thought, but was it her place to meddle with it?

"You'll only get in my way. I'm certain of it," he said firmly.

"Fine," Maria exhaled, "I swear it."

"Alright then," Kiku smiled, relieved at her cooperation, "Where to begin…"

* * *

To the left of the jewelry shop with the ruby necklace, a figure in a black hoodie stood in the shadows of the dark alleyway. For a while, he just watched the couple in the café window, the tan-skinned girl laughing as she stole the other's meal, giving him her own plate. From the moment he laid eyes on the Japanese man, he recognized him immediately, his hatred flaring. When the couple looked over, he stepped back into the alley, but realized they were just looking at the display window of jewelry shop next to him. As the Japanese man pointed to something in the window, the figure in the hoodie slid his phone out of his pocket and dialed the number. After ringing twice, a female voice answered.

"_Hiddekel, if you're calling, you better have made some significant progress!" _she said warningly.

"Of course, why else would I call?" He rolled his eyes even though she could not see.

"_Well, hurry up and spit it out already! Pison and I are…busy at the moment." _

"What's got you all worked up this time?" he asked sarcastically.

"_If you must know, Pison was having a little too much fun with some detective agent in Madrid the other day. He split his skull open and now we have to fix him up." _

"You wasted blood? The boss ain't gonna be too happy about that, you know."

"_That's why we're fixing him up before she finds out. And it wasn't my fault, it was Pison's." _

"_Hey!" _A male voice exclaimed in the background, and Hiddekel had no doubt it was Pison's. "_The little bastard deserved it. He pulled out a gun, the moron. And don't worry; he still had plenty of blood left." _

"Well, anyway, I'm calling because I actually have made progress," Hiddekel said, bringing the subject back to business, "I found him. He came to London just like we predicted."

"_And you're sure it's Honda? Because if it isn't…" _

"Euphrates, please, I know what I'm doing."

She snorted on the other end, "_If that were true, then how do you explain the fiasco in New York?" _

"It's all because of that stupid bastard! I won't let Honda slip through my fingers again!" growled Hiddekel. Then he took a deep breathe and calmed down. "Anyway, I really did find him."

"_And does he have the suitcase?" _

"Well, no. He must've hidden it somewhere in the city."

"_We need that suitcase!"_

"I know, I know. I'll handle it. But that's not all," he added with a sly grin.

"_Oh?"_

"He has a girl," Hiddekel said, and he could picture Euphrates' lips curving into a wicked smile as well.

"_Well, that could prove to be…useful," _she snickered.

"Tell the boss. Not only can I get her that suitcase, but I can get her one order of sweet revenge. That should make up for what happened in New York."

"_Perfect! As soon as Pison and I finish here, I'll tell her. The next time we see each other, you better have that suitcase."_

"Oh, I'll have much more than the suitcase," he chuckled as he hung up, eyeing the café once more where the tan-skinned girl gentle lay her hand on top on Kiku's. "Honda…" he said in a low voice, "I can't wait to see the look on your face when you find out what's in store for you and your girl."

* * *

From the Author: Okay, I'll make this quick. I admit, this was kinda tricky to write. But hopefully I got some few key points across? Maybe? Oh well, it will all be clarified later.

Anybody wanna take a guess what the names of our mysterious persons are a reference too? One hasn't been mentioned yet. Brownie points if you get it! Hint: No, Tigris is not one of them. Or maybe you guys want to take a random guess as to what's up with Teramist? Haha good luck...

Anyways Thanks for reading and favoriting guys! Totally appreciate it! :D

**itgirl18: **Why,thank you! This is my first time doing a mystery, so yeah! *bows*

**NinjaRoll: **Yep, all in due time! Thanks, and there's no way Arthur could NOT be a reporter in this story ;)

**hetaliaforever123: **Aww thanks! You're too kind :)

**Juusan13: **No problem! And this plot bunny salutes you and thanks you for nourishing it well!

And maybe this plot bunny is still hungry for reviews? Maybe? ;) Thanks sooo much guys!


	5. Chapter 5: The Scientists' Tale

Disclaimer: Hetalia's definitely not mine!

Note: Okay guys! This is an informational chapter, but it's necessary to get the story rolling. So, without further ado, enjoy!

* * *

"Just SHUT UP! All of you!" shouted Gilbert, whose patience had expired moments ago. The others were all getting in his way, yelling at him, Alfred being the most annoying, flailing his arms about in a frantic manner.

"No, I won't shut up when someone just barges into my house and demands to take one of my guests," argued Arthur ardently. His friends may not have known it, but he was purposefully stalling the bounty hunter so that Kiku could escape.

"I want to know exactly what the charges are before I am quiet," Yao said as he crossed his arms.

But Gilbert just ignored their protests and pushed past them. However, by the time he did, Kiku was already gone. Dashing into the bedroom, he saw that the window leading to the fire escape was open, and there was no sight of his prey. "_Verdammt_," he cursed as he turned on his heels and hastened out of the apartment, pulling Elizaveta with him, slamming the front door shut after him.

"Well that was rude," Alfred huffed indignantly.

"But at least Kiku got away," exhaled Arthur. "We bought him a good ten minutes. There's no way Gilbert can track him through the streets of London."

"Looks like we were right," Matthew said, "Something is definitely going on with Kiku. And what do you have to do for it to be deemed a crime against humanity? That's so...vague."

"I'm guessing it would have to be pretty serious, but I have no idea what it could be. I can't even picture Kiku stealing a candy bar from a grocery store, much less committing something worse than a felony," frowned Francis. Arthur refused to meet anyone's eyes, but he played coy as well.

"I can't believe that was Gilbert, though," Matthew added quietly, "I mean, sure, he's really cocky and aggressive, but he's never like that to his friends."

"That was strange of him," pondered Yao thoughtfully, "Especially since he once told me that he felt indebted to Kiku."

"Indebted to Kiku? For what?" asked Arthur. The albino certainly didn't act like he was going to repay an old debt.

"Yes, you see, back when they went to high school together, Kiku saved Ludwig, his brother, and Feliciano from what would have been a deadly car accident," Yao explained.

"Well, he didn't seem very thankful when he saw Kiku today," Francis sighed.

"Speaking of Kiku, what was wrong with him? Those were some very nasty things he said to Maria earlier," Alfred said. "I've never seen him like that. The dude is always so...polite all the time."

"Apparently not," sniped Yong Soo, "No one talks to my little cousin like that! Next time we see him, we'll kick his ass, right Maria?" But when Maria did not reply, he surveyed the kitchen, only to find that she was not there anymore. "Where'd she go?" They all just blinked and took a good look around to confirm that Maria was, indeed, gone as well.

"She probably followed Kiku, knowing her," Yao shook his head. "There's no way we're going to find them now. I guess we'll just have to wait, aru."

* * *

"You sure handled that well," Elizaveta snapped sarcastically as she took her seat next to Gilbert in their sleek rental Mustang (Gilbert wouldn't settle for anything less; his car just had to be as awesome as he was, or as close as it could get).

"Oh, be quiet Lizzie, I didn't know that they would all be there! I should've known they would defend him," Gilbert muttered as he revved the engine.

"But did you really have to be so...crude? Seriously, it looked like you were the bad guy or something! So unprofessional," she said, exasperated. "Your smirk back there was plain creepy. Of course they would have sided with Kiku after seeing your face!"

"That's just how I always look when I bag the bad guys as I find them. I have to be a little rough when I find them-they're criminals after all."

"Okay, first of all, I was the one who located him. I bet you wouldn't have thought to ask Francis if he had seen Kiku lately. And even if you did, I bet you couldn't have sounded as concerned about his safety enough to coax the necessary information from him! Admit it, you needed me," she smirked, knowing how ingenious her plan had been. Gossip came so easily to her, getting the latest talk about their Japanese friend from the Frenchie had been no problem, and not to mention that Francis could be such a blabbermouth.

"Shut up. I probably would've found another way, like...or maybe...shut up. Fine, you did a good job, but I'm still more awesome," he added for good measure.

"And then you had to go and ruin all my hard work!" she continued angrily, "You should have known that being hostile and pushy like that would have stirred some negative feelings. You promised you'd get the truth before taking Kiku in!"

"I know, I know, Lizzie. That was a mistake, I just got carried away, I guess. There, I said it, are you happy now?"

"No," she sighed, "Next time we catch him, be a little nicer or something. Or just let me handle it. Yeah, just let me handle it."

"And if he doesn't listen to you?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I'll bring my frying pan," she answered, as if that solved all her problems.

"Finally someone else gets to experience your swing. I feel sorry for him already."

* * *

Lovino groaned as he started to come to. The first thing he noticed was the throbbing pain in his head. The second thing he noticed was the cold, hard ground that he must have been thrown on or something, because his back ached as he sat up. He was in a sterile, white room, about ten feet by ten feet, with a thick metal door that was bolted shut from the outside.

He tried to remember how he got here, why he was locked up, but it just made the pounding in his head even worse, and he held his hand to his temple and found that it was wrapped in bandages.

"Don't strain yourself," a girl's voice warned.

Lovino jumped, startled, and whirled around to see girl, or rather a young woman, sitting with her back against the wall. She had bright blue eyes behind ovular glasses and long, dirty blonde hair, most of which was in a sleek side braid. A large red bow dangled above her ear and braid. There was a stern look upon her face, but her eyes seemed to sparkle with intelligence.

"Wha-what the fuck?" stammered Lovino, "Where are we? Who are you?"

"Watch your language," she sniped, "And this is our...prison cell so to speak."

"Prison cell? I put criminals in fucking prison cells every week, and I've never seen one like this in Madrid! We _are_ still in Madrid, right?"

"Yes, we are. Well, sort of." She held up three fingers. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Three, of course," he snapped grumpily.

"Good. Just making sure. With a head injury like that, I'm surprised you're able to talk in complete sentences," she said, but then added darkly, "But I guess that they have _extraordinary_ medicine here." Her voice was full of loathing and contempt as she spoke. There was a pause, before her expression returned to indifference as she asked, "So what did they do to you? Did they give you any shots or make you drink anything that you are aware of?"

"What? No, but I wasn't really conscious...why?"

"...You're sure they didn't inject anything weird into you? Do you feel...different, like strange or woozy?" she inquired cynically.

"My head hurts like a bitch, but other than that, I feel okay, I guess. What the hell is this all about?" he demanded, looking down at her.

"Language!" she scolded again, "And I was just making sure you aren't another experiment of theirs. Because that would be...rather unfortunate for me to be stuck in here with you."

"Experiment? What are you talking about? What the fuck is going on?" Suddenly, he remembered confronting the voice in the alley, and being ambushed by his partner in crime. He had been tracking down the mysterious culprit of Madrid, which turned out to be two people actually. It was a dirty trick, attacking him behind like that. He remembered being slammed to the ground, the intense pain erupting from his forehead. Now that wound had been stitched up, it seemed, as he touched the bandages above his ears. His touch caused the wound to sting, and he winced.

The girl frowned and furrowed her brows in concern. "We're stuck here. There's no way out, and trust me, I've been trying for a week. Why were you taken? Walking the streets late at night? By now, you should have known better."

"I'm a detective," retorted Lovino, irritated, "I was trying to uncover the identity of whoever was responsible for the mass disappearances, and to do that, I had to offer myself as bait. But obviously, that turned out to be a shit idea."

"Ah, so you actually wanted to be found. Not the smartest idea, that's true, but at least you're not some clueless panic attack waiting to happen. I guess I'm in here for a similar reason. I was poking around too much, asking too many questions, so they threw me in here. Maybe that's why we're locked up together," the girl pondered seriously.

"What's going to happen to us?"

She hesitated, and then said, "I don't know, honestly. I can't believe they've let me live this long, actually."

"Just tell me what the fuck is going on here!" His head injury didn't make him any more patient.

"Would you stop being so vulgar! And it's quite a long and complicated story."

"...well, looks like we're not going anywhere for a while," Lovino sighed. Arguing with this girl was not going to soothe his headache, so he might as well get to the bottom of things first.

"True...if you promise not to curse excessively, then I'll tell you," she maintained with a small smile. Even though she did not show it, she was relieved to have some company, even if he was a bit hot-tempered. She was beginning to worry that solitary confinement would drive her crazy.

"I'll try, but no promises," Lovino muttered. "I'm Lovino Vargas, by the way. You haven't told me your name."

"Lo-vi-no. That's a nice name. Unique," she smiled a little bigger, "My name's Laura Bonnefoy."

* * *

"I'm not sure where to start. There's just so much...it's so complicated," Kiku said reluctantly, still tentative about telling Maria the whole story.

"Well, then just start from the very beginning. That's always a good place to start, that's why it's called the 'beginning,'" she beamed at him encouragingly.

He exhaled and watched her eat his fish and chips for a moment, collecting his thoughts. Then he took another deep breath, knowing she wouldn't let him get away without knowing the truth. "Okay. I guess it all started after I got my bachelor's degree two years ago. I was going continue my education to become a researcher in medical sciences, but then a few of my peers and I received a special once-in-a-lifetime job offer from a company called Teramist. From the start, the whole offer seemed strange. I had received a letter, telling me exactly where to report in a private room in a small convention center for my interview. The letter itself didn't explain much, so I suppose I went mainly out of curiosity. When I arrived that day, however, I was surprised to find that it was a group interview. The letter didn't say anything about that."

Maria had been listening intently as she finished her small meal. She noticed how Kiku spoke in a hushed voice, his hand trembling slightly. Gently, she placed her hand on his, and slowly he intertwined his fingers in hers, and she gave him a comforting smile. "What happened at the interview?"

"There was a tall brown-haired woman, who looked relatively young, sitting behind a desk, and two of my peers were already sitting in chairs facing her. They seemed to have been waiting for me, even though it was still a few minutes early. Anyway, I was even more surprised because I never expected to see that two of my friends had also received the letter: Laura Bonnefoy and Vash Zwingli. They don't work in New York anymore, so you probably don't know them. Laura and I had been studying medicinal applications together, and Vash had been majoring in biochemistry, so I suppose it wasn't a big surprise that we had all been offered the job. The three of us were at the top of our classes. Once I had taken my seat, the woman got straight to the point, briefly introducing herself as Eden, the company's sole owner."

"Eden? That's a nice name," Maria said almost absentmindedly.

"I thought she was nice back then, too. It wasn't until later that she revealed her true nature," Kiku foreshadowed darkly, making shivers run down her back.

"And what was the last name of that girl you mentioned? Laura...Bonnefoy? Is she that French guy's sister or something?"

"Yes, she is," Kiku chuckled, his mood lightening again, "But they're almost nothing alike. For everything Francis lacks, she has: brilliance, fortitude, and asperity. She's an excellent scientist, but a bit of a perfectionist. Anyway, Eden explained what Teramist really was, or rather, the innocent version. The pharmacy was the just their cover up story. She said that their true goals were to improve the medicines of the present by bringing together all the most prominent, gifted researchers under a single organization to make sharing our results and data more efficient. She offered to employ all three of us, saying we would be working with other competent scientist in private labs. The pay was extremely high, but the only catch was that we had to keep our occupations a secret. Now, I wasn't completely stupid; I was skeptical as to why we had to hide our experiments from the world, but Eden was very persuasive. She said that the only reason her operation was a secret was to avoid infringement by the governments around the world. She said that she would not have her scientists be impeded by ridiculous restrictions imposed by controlling laws. I was about to question her further when she shocked all three of us with her next preposition."

He took a shaky breathe, but then continued. "Eden told us that there was one main priority above all her other goals for the company. Teramist had almost succeeded in creating in what is known as the Antidote."

"The Antidote?" Maria echoed uncertainly. "Antidote for what?"

"For everything. She described it as a cure-all. One dosage could cure a simple cold or even the most serious and fatal of diseases. It could even bring back someone on the brink of death."

"Can it bring the dead back to life?" she asked, frowning.

"No. That's impossible. But it can eradicate cancer and heal someone who has been wounded beyond repair. So after Eden explained all this to us, and we didn't believe her right away, she gave us two days to think it over. But if we did decide to join Teramist, she said that there was no turning back, however, we'd be able to see this cure-all in action. When the interview was over, and it wasn't really much of an interview per say, Laura, Vash, and I decided to talk over lunch. Laura, who's always been quite the idealist, was ecstatic about the offer and the information about the Antidote. She had already made up her mind to join, especially if it meant helping people. Vash also agreed to join, but for different reasons. He never really said it outright, but Laura and I knew it was because of his sister, Lily, whose immune system was never perfect so she was constantly in the hospital. The cure-all had the potential to rid her of all sickness, if what Eden had told us was true."

"And was it?" Maria was almost too eager to hear about this Antidote, and really just wanted him to cut to the chase. "I mean, it's obvious that you joined already...or we wouldn't be here right now." But even as she spoke, she realized that she also wanted to know his reasons for accepting the offer. "Why did you?"

"For the same reasons they did, I suppose," Kiku replied thoughtfully, "I wanted to help develop this cure-all so no one would have to suffer diseases anymore. My mother died when I was ten because of cancer, and if a cure-all had existed then, she wouldn't have had to die." His voice became distant, his eyes sad.

"I-I'm sorry..." Maria whispered. "I didn't know." She understood perfectly what it meant to lose someone close to her. Kiku's reasons for accepting were totally valid! She didn't blame him one bit. What if she had had this Antidote the night Mai died? She could have saved her! Maria dismissed the thought immediately, knowing it was not healthy to think like that.

"It's okay," Kiku exhaled, glad to relieve himself of that burden of knowledge, "I just didn't want any more children to lose their mothers if there was a way to prevent it. So I too accepted the offer. Once we submitted our decisions, Eden assigned us different areas of focus and the three of us went our separate ways. I was to conduct laboratory work in the New York branch; Laura joined the research committee which took her to Europe. I'm not even exactly sure where Vash ended up going."

"So I guess Alfred was right when he said you were lying about being a sales manager, then," Maria sighed.

"I apologize for lying to you…about everything," he said nervously, afraid of her reaction.

"I guess you have a really good reason, so apology accepted," she answered tenderly. "But you still haven't told me the whole story. So you took the job and then…?"

"And then a fellow scientist for Teramist showed up on my doorstep the next day and showed me to the laboratory, which was, er, well _under_ the company's warehouse on the outskirts of the city. Like an enormous basement. The entire operation took place underground."

"Huh…" She had a hard time picturing what he meant. Was it like one of those top secret laboratories hidden beneath the surface where mutant monsters riddled the hallways? Maybe, but Kiku hadn't mentioned anything about mutant creatures…yet.

"I guess I'll skip all the boring details about settling in to my new occupation," Kiku went on, "But I became acquainted with my co-workers and the researchers in the New York branch. During my first few days, they showed me their latest projects, some of which were extraordinary, almost too good to be true! But the biggest shocker was on the fifth day, when they showed me one of their most amazing accomplishments: the creation of a new element," Kiku paused, as if trying to amend his original words. "Which, I suppose, isn't an entirely new phenomenon, but this element, which they named Radiptanium, doesn't have a place on the periodic table."

"What's that supposed to mean? It doesn't exist?"

"Yes, in theory, it's not supposed to exist, but it does. When Eden told me that they had almost finished developing the Antidote, she lied. They _already_ had completed it. Radiptanium is one of the key ingredients in the cure-all, due to its peculiar properties. The New York branch is responsible for synthesizing Radiptanium and sending it the main laboratory, where the Antidote is created, using all the other ingredients."

"Wait, you're telling me that it already exists?" Maria exclaimed, flabbergasted. Now so many questions began to pop into her head. "Why hasn't it been released to the public? Does it work?"

"I'm getting to all that," Kiku waved off, "Anyway, after we send a batch of Radiptanium, we wait about a week, and then the main laboratory sends us back the finished product: a vial of the Antidote to try on test subjects. It's a bright red liquid, and the Radiptanium gives it a small glow. We've tested it on dying rats and monkeys numerous times, each test resulting in a positive. All of them were deathly ill before receiving the potion, and as healthy as can be afterwards. After months and months of testing animals, it was clear that the Antidote was going to be a success, but Teramist never took it one step further. They never wanted to use human test subjects."

"Was it because they didn't want to risk it?"

"At first that's what I assumed, that they were too afraid that it wouldn't work. But later, I learned it was because they were afraid that it _would _work. After a year and a half of this monotonous testing, I began pressing the others to use human subjects, but they all refused. I could tell by their expressions that they all knew for a fact that the Antidote had promising potential, but soon I learned why they pretended it was too dangerous. When I began asking too many questions, the overseer of the New York branch spoke to me directly. He said that it was against the wishes of the main branch to perform tests on human subjects, and that if I quietly went along with it, I would be paid handsomely for the time being. When he realized that money wasn't what I wanted, he promised me that when the Antidote was released to the public, I would be given my own vial to use however I pleased. Now _that_ was enough to convince me."

"But if it was a success each time with animals, why not give it a go with human subjects? If it can cure anything, why not start with something simple like a cut or a cold?" questioned Maria, befuddled.

"Well, the deal kept me quiet for a few more months, but then questions like that made me restless. Everything about Teramist just kept getting more and more…suspicious. The fact that the whole company was an underground operation was one thing, and keeping their success a secret was another. One day, well, last week actually, I was the last one cleaning up after another successful test on monkeys, and was told to lock up the main doors when I was done. This wasn't unusual; it's happen a number of times before. But as I was about to lock the door, I noticed the main computer was left on, probably by accident. Normally, I wouldn't be one to snoop, but, well, you can see why I did this time."

Maria nodded. Heck, she would have done it just to satisfy simple curiosity.

"So, since the computer was still on, I didn't have to bother with security codes, and I was even able to pull up a file that listed some codes, and printed those out, which turned out to be immensely useful. But I also gained access to files that were completely confidential to the employees of Teramist, meant only for the overseer's eyes. And I…learned some very disturbing things…." Suddenly Kiku paled, and gulped. Maria waited patiently for him to gather his thoughts and continue, "Once the Radiptanium is sent to the main laboratory, it's chemically combined with the other main ingredient of the Antidote."

A lump formed in Kiku's throat, and he couldn't bring himself to say it. When he first learned of the main ingredient, he had been horrified almost to the point of paralysis. Even now, just thinking of what he had been taking part in made him want to puke. But Maria didn't hound him for the answer, just remain cool and collect, tolerant of his hesitation, giving him that sweet, serene smile saying that everything was going to be okay. This gave him the strength to continue, and he was barely able to choke out a whisper, "Human blood. It's human blood."

At first, Maria didn't understand the gravity of what he was saying. Blood wasn't so bad, right? People donate blood all the time, and humans are capable of recreating and replenishing their own supply of blood, at least that's what she had learned in anatomy class. Kiku, who looked like he was going to be sick, noticed her confusion, and swallowed hard. "You don't get it," he said in a low voice, "It's not just a little blood. They take _all _of it from their victim. Then they filter out the water and the components that they don't need, using what's left to combine it with the Radiptanium. They drain all of the blood from an innocent person to create one vial of the Antidote. They've been killing people to create their cure-all."

* * *

"Blood?" Lovino exclaimed. "That's why all those people have been kidnapped, for their blood?"

"Yes. Teramist used to just use the blood of criminals already sentenced to death, so no one would miss them, but since Teramist is a completely secret operation, it's been harder to infiltrate the crime system. So now they've been taking innocent people off the streets. The governments don't even know about any of this. Sad, isn't it?" Laura said bitterly.

"Sad? It's fucking insane!" Lovino clenched his fists. "So…all those missing people from Madrid...are they all dead already?" His voice trembled, with anger and anguish.

"Well, not all of them. I'm not exactly sure why Teramist has suddenly gotten so sloppy, endangering their operation with this Spanish problem of mass disappearances. Normally, they're most subtle about this," Laura pondered.

"You were working for them! How long did you know?" he growled, glowering at her.

"As soon as I found out too much, they threw me in here. I regret every experiment I've done for this damn company. I thought I was going to be improving medicine and saving lives, not taking them," she said ruefully.

"So what now?" demanded Lovino. His rage bubbled inside of him uncontrollably, but he was trapped here, hopelessly trapped.

"What now? Nothing. There's nothing left for us to do but wait. Wait until they need our blood and suck it out of us for their _precious _Antidote," Laura answered, voice hollow and dejected.

"No! That can't be!" he shouted. In his anger he punched the wall, but only succeeded in hurting his hand as pain shot up from his knuckles. As he rubbed them, he whispered frenetically, "Damnit, Antonio. You can solve this. You have to…"

* * *

From the Author: I think I'm beginning to grasp a very flexible plot line! The plot bunny is speaking to me! :) I hope I didn't give too much away in this chap, cuz then it wouldn't be a mystery anymore! Haha, trust me, there are so many more twists coming right up!

Anyway, I forgot to mention this earlier, but I've given Monaco a human name: Laura Bonnefoy! You can google Monaco if you want a better idea of what she looks like. I love her design! She's so pretty :D Btw, if there are any characters you want to see in this fic, all you have to do is ask!

And last but not least, thanks to all my reviewers! I couldn't have gotten this far without all your support!

**Juusan13: **Maybe this chapter answered a couple of your questions ;) or maybe it just made it worse, haha, but don't worry, by the end of this story everything should be wrapped up! Thanks for your encouragement!

**chibibeanie: **Good guess, but that's not exactly what I was going for. But in the next couple of chapters I will shed light on that :) Thanks for feeding my bunny!

**hetaliaforever123: **Thanks! Because it is a very ravenous bunny indeed ;) Glad you liked it!

**NinjaRoll: **Romano lives :) I couldn't kill him...yet, but he's one of my favorites too. Thanks and no problem!

**itgirl18: **Haha I'll provide the chapters and it's like a win-win situation :D Thanks a bunch!

Omigosh you guys are all so ahmazing! I can tell that you're all fun people :) So thanks for sharing your opinions!


	6. Chapter 6: Helpless

Disclaimer: Hetalia. Not mine.

Note: Got another informational chapter here for you guys, so this is more of a set up chapter, but completely necessary for understanding. Enjoy!

* * *

Antonio had known something was wrong when the clock struck 8 a.m. and Lovino had still not arrived at the office yet, though he was supposed have been here an hour ago. It wasn't unusual for Lovino to arrive late-he often slept in a little, and normally Antonio wouldn't mind- but this time it was different. With a case a serious as this one, Lovino had made a special effort to be prompt everyday of the week. Even he knew how important and strained the agency was of late. Antonio tried calling the Italian's phone, but after three tries, there was still no answer and he was beginning to get anxious. Did Lovino even make it home last night safely? He should have checked! A quick phone call would have sufficed. The Spaniard had begun to scold himself for assuming that his partner could handle himself. Lovino wasn't stupid enough to walk alone after dark, right?

But then again…he was reckless enough to go looking for the culprit by himself. Now Antonio's mind began to race, thinking up countless possibilities that could have befell the Italian last night. He and his partner shared an office, so he searched Lovino's desk drawers, and sure enough, his pistol was missing. Blanching, he became so upset that he almost missed the little blinking light coming from Lovino's desk phone, signaling that there a new voicemail. Almost. Under normal circumstances, Antonio would have just dismissed it as another worried citizen calling to demand whether or not the agency had made any progress, something completely unimportant at the moment. But, the thing was, Lovino _never _received calls from citizens. His hostility towards anyone who even dared dialed his number earned him quite the reputation among the agency, so his extension number was never given out.

Immediately, Antonio pressed the "play" button, and listened carefully. The message was a bit muffled, as if the cell phone was covered by something or was inside a pocket, but he was still able to clearly make out the words of the recorded conversation.

"-_Not until you tell me who the hell you are. Are you the one who's been kidnapping people?" _Definitely Lovino's angry, demanding voice. He seemed to talking to someone, an urgent, almost subtle apprehensive tone as he spoke. "The one who's been kidnapping people?" The culprit?

"_Am I the one? Yes, I guess that's me. I've seen you walking through the streets for hours now, like you want to be taken! Well, I can arrange that." _An unfamiliar voice, belonging to a young adult male, with a sinister edge to his words. Then this was the culprit? Lovino had found him?

"_So you're my damn culprit. Why have you been abducting all these people? And where are you hiding them? Tell me, you fucking bastard!" _It was all too much like Lovino, the cursing and the headstrong, aggressive commands.

"_Tsk tsk, such a foul mouth you have there! But there's no reason to be angry." _There was a wicked laughter, and then, "_You'll be finding out first hand!" _

There was pause, and after a brief moment, Antonio heard Lovino yell, "_Come any closer and I'll shoot!" _

"_You fool," _the mysterious voice snickered before there was a violent jostle and Antonio couldn't quite decipher what those sounds were. Did the phone fall during the recording?

Suddenly, the jostling stopped, and he heard a female voice, rebuking, "_You weren't supposed to kill him!"_ Kill him? Antonio's eyes widened. Did that mean…no, it wasn't true!

"_He's not dead, probably just has a little brain trauma, that's all. Besides, we don't need _all _of him!" _After the unknown male spoke, the voicemail ended abruptly.

Antonio just stared down at the desk in shock. Lovino wasn't dead, if that last part was true, but then…was he captured? Was he still alive then? His captors could be hurting him right this moment, torturing him! And it would be all his fault! Antonio was his boss, he was supposed to be looking out for his _tomate_, but he couldn't even protect one person, his partner. Antonio shook his head, regaining his logic. This had been Lovino's plan from the start. It sounded like he had been walking around Madrid on purpose, trying to goad the kidnappers. And when it worked, he called the office right away, hoping that Antonio would receive it…and then what? The message didn't give him enough information! He couldn't track the phone because the line was dead, and he didn't even catch any names. Now that his partner had been taken, it seemed as if he had taken two steps back.

That had been two days ago. Now, Antonio, after searching the city rigorously once more, was back in his office looking over the files of the missing people. He didn't even consider going over Lovino's since the Italian had forced his way to the culprits, having no plausible connection to the motivations of these kidnappings. But no matter how he looked at the files, he could grasp no connection. The disappearances varied across the board, from teenagers to adults, from random citizens to tourists. And still no bodies had turned up. He felt as useless as ever.

His depressing thoughts were interrupted when his office doors burst open, and in came a hysterical Feliciano and a tentative Ludwig. The younger Italian tackled Antonio with a tight embrace, tears streaming down his face. "Antonio!" he yowled, "H-has there b-been any more n-news about _f-fratello_?"

As Ludwig wrenched Feliciano off, Antonio answered dejectedly, "No, I'm afraid not. There's not a single lead. No traces. _Nada._"

"Well, we came here to help search for him. Is there anything we can do?" Ludwig asked while Feliciano calmed down and nodded in agreement.

Antonio was about to tell them that no, there wasn't really anything they could do, but he couldn't. It would just crush Feliciano's spirits and he would start weeping all over again. "I guess you two could search the streets and ask around," he said as he forced a fake smile on his lips.

"Ve!" Feliciano cheered, optimistic about finding his brother. "Ludwig and I can find him!"

"Okay, but Madrid is a big place," Antonio warned. "And no searching after sunset. Lovino wouldn't want you in danger for his sake."

"Of course," nodded Ludwig, "I'll look after him."

"Here," Antonio said as he handed the German a manila folder, "I have my own copy, so you can keep this. Maybe it will help you." Ludwig nodded once more before leading Feliciano out of the agency building.

Once they were outside, the blonde flipped through the contents of the folder while Feliciano began asking random pedestrians if they had seen his brother. The folder contained Lovino's "missing person" report, including everything from his appearance description to the last time he was seen. But on the very last page, which was titled "Last Phone Call" was a printed version of what seemed to be a conversation between Lovino and an unknown person. At first, Ludwig wasn't sure what to make of it, but he was able to deduce that Lovino had gone looking for the culprit, but ended up being captured instead. Now the blonde really doubted that they would be able to locate the Italian older brother. He wondered whether he should tell Feliciano or not, but then decided not just yet. At least the search kept Feli from fretting anxiously over his brother.

"I'll just tell him later," Ludwig muttered to himself. Then he joined Feliciano and began their futile search.

* * *

"I feel like we have overstayed our welcome," mutter Yao as he watched Arthur and Francis argue for the sake of arguing. Alfred laughed at them off to the side, and Matthew sat quietly on the couch, shaking his head disappointedly.

"Is that British guy also this uptight? He should learn to cut loose a little," Yong Soo whispered back.

"He gets worse when Francis and Alfred are around, so perhaps we should leave," suggested the Chinese man, and Matthew nodded in agreement.

"But what about Maria? She isn't back yet…" Yong Soo trailed off, not ready to admit that he was a tad bit worried about his younger cousin.

"I know you haven't seen her in a long time, but don't worry. These past two years she's really grown up, actually. Very independent," Yao reassured. "Just send her a text and tell her we'll meet her back at the hotel."

"If you say so," he replied, already pulling out his cell phone. After composing the message and pressing "Send," he paused, as if thinking, his expression unreadable, which concerned Yao. Normally the energetic Korean was an open book. "Hey, Yao," he began uncertainly, "I have a question."

"And I have an answer," he said, his interest piqued by Yong Soo's strange, self-conscious behavior. "What's wrong?"

"Well, I…I was wondering if Maria ever told you why she left for New York all of a sudden," he said in a low voice.

"Oh. That." Yao sighed, but he knew he should have seen this coming. "Yes, Maria did tell me about that once, but I promised her that I would never speak of it ever again, not even with her."

"But Yao-" he objected, but was cut short when the Chinese man held up his hand.

"A man is only as good as his word," he responded tersely, making Yong Soo bite his lip. Typical Yao, dishing out his proverbs again and upholding his honor. It could be quite annoying, as far as the Korean was concerned. "Anyway, we should get going, or Arthur is going to blow an artery, aru."

"Fine," huffed Yong Soo, defeated but not at all happy to let the matter rest, "At least tell me this: did it have anything to do with that night? The night Mai was murdered?"

Yao, who had been on his way to the door already, stopped in his tracks and turned to face him. "I promised Maria I wouldn't say a word," he answered vaguely, but Yong Soo took that as a "yes."

* * *

Maria was utterly shocked, no, that wasn't the right word. Appalled, aghast, horrified. Those words would more accurately describe her reaction to what Kiku had said about the Antidote. It required blood, and Teramist pulled in its supply from innocent victims. She should have known this cure-all would come at a heavy price. The whole notion was too good to be true. Of course. A life for a life, right? In a twisted, cruel way, it made sense.

Meanwhile, Kiku was carefully studying her reaction apprehensively. After seeing the horror-struck look on her face, he could almost feel his stomach drop as if he was on a rollercoaster. For a moment, neither of them said a word as Maria processed the information until she whispered, dismayed, "Are-are you serious?"

As much as he wanted to tell her that it wasn't true, he nodded his head gravely. "H-hai. I-I'm so sorry, Maria. You probably think I'm some sort of monster for working with Teramist, and I don't blame you. When I found out, I almost lost my mind. All those vials…and no doubt there were much, much more. For as long as Teramist has been operating, countless lives have been taken. And I had a hand in it." The words tumbled out of his mouth, though barely audible, but Maria still heard. It pained her to see him like this, broken and crestfallen.

"You didn't know," she consoled gently. "I don't think you're an evil person. But I can't make any judgments until I hear the story in its entirety. What happened after you found out? What did you do?"

"Well," he began again, clearing his throat and trying to recompose himself, "After I regained my wits, I left the laboratory immediately, locking it up so it didn't look suspicious. Then I went straight to Alfred's place, but on the way, I could barely hold back my emotions. When I got there, no doubt I gave both Alfred and Matthew quite a scare, being the hysterical mess that I was that night. They kept asking me what happened, but I couldn't tell them. I couldn't bring myself to repeat the truth about my work, my bloodied experiments. When they gave up questioning me, and they were very nice about it, I begged Alfred to make me a computer virus."

"Yeah, he told me about that part," she recalled, "He said that it was a special virus, one that could only be downloaded into a database to wipe it clean. You convinced him to make you one, and then once he gave it to you…you disappeared."

"That's correct," Kiku exhaled, looking ashamed, "The day he gave me the USB drive…well, it was hectic, at least for me. I went to work like usual, pretending nothing had happened and that I didn't know anything about the human blood. That evening, since it was a Friday, the laboratory shut down early, so I volunteered to lock up again. No one thought anything of it. So I went to work as soon as I was alone. I went back to the main computer of the New York branch, inserted Alfred's USB drive, and used the security codes that I had printed out the night prior. After that, I downloaded the virus just like Alfred told me to. I have to give him some credit; it only took about half an hour for the database to be erased completely."

"So you succeeded? It worked?"

"Not exactly. Yes, the New York branch was rendered useless because the virus also caused all the machines that were wired in accordance to the main computer to malfunction, and also any machines that used any of the security codes I had entered in, but that was only one branch of Teramist. The rest of the company could easily continue its operation, but it would be hindered for a few months to adjust to the decline in Radiptanium. I knew that I had to insert the virus into the _main_ database which would be at Teramist's headquarters, its primary branch. So, as soon as the virus had worked its magic in New York, I left that letter on your counter and departed for France."

"France? Is that the main branch?" She tilted her head questioningly. Now that she knew the truth about the letter, her livid feelings dissolved, and she felt a little bad for being so angry with him at first.

"No, the primary branch is actually here, in London. But I went to France in the hope of finding Laura again. The last I'd heard of her, she was conducting her research in France, and since she travels so much, she doesn't really have a permanent residence, so I assumed she'd be staying with her brother, Francis. He, of course, didn't know anything about Laura's actual job, though he had suspicions that she was lying about Teramist. That made it even harder for me to ask about her whereabouts, especially since Laura had been feeding him her own lies as a cover up. I played along to whatever he said about her travels, but he thought her to be here in London as well. I figured that couldn't be a coincidence, so she must've been in London. You see, since I worked in the New York branch, I don't actually know where the primary laboratory is. Underground, no doubt, but I have no idea how to get in. Laura, being on the research committee, has been to all the laboratories, so she would be able lead me there."

"Do you think she knows about the blood ingredient?" Maria asked, furrowing her brows.

"If she's still working for Teramist, then no, she doesn't, and I think that she's still is. There's no way she'd continue her research if she knew that's what Teramist was really up to. But there's a problem," Kiku bit his lip uneasily, and then explained, "When I came here earlier today, I went to Arthur's and then the both of us paid a visit to Laura's house just outside of the city, which was probably just supposed to be a temporary residence. But when we got there, the house was completely empty, and she was gone. It looked like she had left England rather hastily. However, there was a voicemail from an Ivan Braginski, who sounded urgent, and he mentioned a promotion, so I assume he knows a thing or two about Teramist. I copied down his address and then Arthur and I returned to the apartment. After I took a quick nap, I came out to find you and the others crowding the apartment." He chuckled as he thought about that moment again, "The last thing I expected was to find you all the way out here on this island nation!"

Maria laughed, imagining how surprised he must have been, seeing her randomly in Arthur's place. "Well, after Alfred, Matthew, Yao and I exchanged information about what we knew, or assumed, we decided to follow you. Francis called and told us where you'd be, so it actually wasn't very hard to find you."

"Oh," Kiku said, a bit disappointed in himself, "Maybe that's how Gilbert tracked me so easily…"

"The albino guy? What was up with him?"

"Gilbert is a bounty hunter for a living," he sighed. "I knew Teramist would be after me as soon as they found out about the database being cleared. But I didn't think for a second that it would be Gil…"

"Were you two close? Yao told me that you went to high school with him and his brother."

"We weren't best friends, but I knew him well enough. I was much closer to his brother, Ludwig."

"Why didn't you ever tell me about them? It seems like you've kept your whole life from me," Maria frowned slightly.

"I'm not sure. That kind of conversation never came up, I guess," he replied, a bit flustered, "It just seemed, I don't know, unimportant. You never talked about your childhood, so I didn't bring up mine."

Maria wanted to face-palm after making such a hypocritical blunder. He had a point there, unfortunately. Now she felt like she was treading dangerous waters, especially since she had told herself from the first date with Kiku that she wouldn't mention her upbringing. Not until the time was right. And this wasn't that time. But now she was the one keeping her life a secret. "You're right, it's unimportant. But you know Li Xiao and about Yong Soo now; they are two of my oldest friends. Now, back to the matter at hand," she transitioned smoothly, "You were going to see this Ivan person, right? That's our next move then."

"'Our?'" echoed Kiku, "Maria, you promised you would stay out of it if I told you the whole story, which I have."

"I know," she continued, "Once we get Ivan to spill the facts, you can go screw up Teramist's laboratory, and I'll go back to New York like I promised. Okay?"

Kiku regarded her carefully, trying to figure out if she was lying about returning to America, but then caved in, "Alright. I'll let you come to visit Ivan, but only if you let me do the talking. Just let me take care of everything."

"You got it!" she said happily, "We might as well go right now. There's no time like the present!"

* * *

Lovino was lying on his back in the middle of the floor of their imprisonment chamber, and he was getting terribly bored of the color white. The four walls, the floor, ceiling, all of it was completely white. Only the metal door was a light shade of gray, and the only colorful things were their own clothes, eyes, and hair. But at least he and Laura weren't rotting in some dungeon on a dirt floor behind iron bars. He supposed that this was a dungeon of sorts, since it was underground and this was their cell.

Laura sat in the corner of the chamber, her mind wandering absently, all notions of escape having disappeared from her days ago. Whenever Lovino looked over, she would be idly fingering her braid, eyes distant. He had tried over and over again to devise a plan to get him out of this hell hole. His efforts seemed hopeless and wasted, but it was better than just giving up and waiting to be slaughtered for his blood. Plus, if he didn't keep his own mind occupied, his thoughts would go back to Antonio and the detective agency. By now, his absence was sure to have been noticed. He tried not think about how Antonio could be handling his disappearance, but hoped it didn't push him over the edge. The tomato bastard was stronger than that, right? Sometimes Lovino would wonder if his brother knew that he was missing, and he could only imagine how hard Feliciano would be taking it. He really hoped that damn potato bastard was taking care of his younger brother, but he didn't trust the German that much.

He was pulled back to reality when the metal door abruptly swung open, and someone was shoved into the room, giving a small yelp as he hit the ground next to Lovino. In the doorway, the man who had pushed the new prisoner inside just stood, staring down at the captives with a sneer on his face. As the man gave a wicked laugh, Lovino sat up, recognizing the voice as the one from the alley. His cruel cackling sparked Laura's anger and defiance, as she too recognized the face of their captor, with his dark hair and black irises.

"You! You're the one from the alley!" exclaimed Lovino furiously, "You're the one who gave me this fucking head injury, you bastard!" As the Italian jumped to his feet heatedly, the man continued to snicker, but flashed the knife in his hand, warning Lovino to stay back.

"Yeah, that's me. Your cussing hasn't improved at all, I see," he derided. Lovino temper flared, but since seeing the knife kept him at bay.

But Laura, too, got to her feet, glaring at the man scornfully. "Still up to your dirty antics, are you Pison?" she spat, clenching her fists.

"Of course, dear Laura," Pison ridiculed, "And I love it! You should see the fear up in Madrid. Every night its citizens quake with fear and it's so _refreshing_."

"You're nothing but a sick monster," she growled. "Using your talents to take the lives of innocent people!"

"But my dear," he said with mock shame, "You as well as I know that Eden's wish is the Rivers' command. It was once your command too, before you stuck your nose in the wrong places."

"You selfish asshole!" she snapped, "How can you work for her, knowing what this company has been up to?"

"Because I love what I do, I've already told you that," he rolled his eyes at her, "And as much as I'd love to stay and chat with you, I've got more business to attend to. But I brought you another playmate! Why don't you make him feel at home?" With that, he slammed the door, which clicked as it bolted shut once more.

Once he was out of sight, Laura was able to control her fuming temper as she knelt down beside their new inmate. He still seemed to be in a state of shock, but began to recover as she helped him sit upright. Meanwhile, Lovino couldn't get over how pissed he was.

"You know that bastard?" he demanded.

"Unfortunately, yes," Laura answered, "He was one of my superiors when I was still working for Teramist. I must admit that he is a great actor. I didn't discover his savage nature until he revealed it to me when he threw me in here." Then she turned back to the new captive and assessed him for any serious injuries, which there were none. He had light, shoulder-length blonde hair, bright green eyes, and looked relatively young, like he was barely an adult.

"Like, what's going on here?" he asked, "I just stepped out to go shopping, and then that guy just, like, kidnapped me!"

"It's going to be okay," Laura lied, "The situation is…rather complicated but can you tell me where you're from? You don't live in Spain, do you?" She started with simple questions, in case they had drugged him, which would have clouded his memory.

"No, I just came here for a rad vacation, which has just been totally ruined. I'm from Poland," he replied, still very confused.

"And your name?"

"Feliks. So we're stuck here? That's like, totally not cool!" he complained, making Laura furrow her brows at such an odd reaction.

Lovino couldn't take it anymore. He was just so angry, at everything, and at himself, for being so helpless. He couldn't stand it in here anymore. Soon he'd go insane, he knew, but there was nothing he could do about it. Absolutely nothing, just like Laura had said.

* * *

"This is the place," Kiku said as he locked the car, Maria already making her way up the patio walkway to the porch. The small cottage-like house was in the suburban area of London, so the drive hadn't been horrendously long, and the two knew how to pass time easily. Kiku was grateful for Maria's company; his stress had been building up incredibly these past few days, but her presence soothed him and made the burden bearable. She rang the door bell and waited for a few moments before it was answered.

A tall woman with very short, platinum blonde hair, an overly developed chest, and soft blue eyes opened the door, a warm, motherly smile on her face. "Hello, can I help you two with anything?" she asked kindly.

"Um, yes, we'd like to speak to Ivan Braginski, please," Kiku said politely. Suddenly the woman's smile fell, and her expression darkened.

"I'm afraid you have the wrong address. There is no Ivan here," she returned, about to close the door when Kiku put his hand on the door knob to stop her.

"I'm sorry, but I'm positive that this is his address," he insisted.

"I'm telling you, Ivan is not here," she maintained nervously.

"Ma'am," Maria said with exigency, "Please, we must speak with Ivan. It's urgent and extremely important. This has to be his address."

"You cannot speak to him," she countered, voice tinged with frustration, bottom lip trembling.

"And why not?" asked Maria, who dropped her courtesy due to the magnitude of the matter at hand.

There was a brief pause. "Because," the woman said sharply, "Ivan Braginski is dead."

* * *

From the Author: I know this chapter was a bit confusing, but I hope the points still got across, but if not, they will become clearer as the story goes on! Sorry for all the set up chapters, but once they're all out of the way, the good stuff can begin! My plot bunny has grown to be quite sophisticated.

Not much else to say at this point, except to give my gratitude to my spirit-lifting reviewers! Writing this has gotten so much more fun with you guys as my audience! I love it!

**hetaliaforever123: **I don't think that's weird at all! Haha, I love Korea too, he's great to work with :) Thanks soo much!

**NinjaRoll: **Yeah, the cure-all was one of my more twisted ideas :P But I'm glad it made the story more interesting! So thanks for the reviews!

**itgirl18: **:D Thanks! Your generous opinion has been accepted most graciously!

**Juusan13: **The plot bunny dances as you sing! And I think anyone who's watched Hetalia the whole way through can handle a great deal of randomness :P

Thanks for reading and reviewing! The plot bunny loves you all!


	7. Chapter 7: Change of Plan

Disclaimer: Do not own Hetalia!

Note: Hey guys! I had a little extra time, so this is a rather quick update! But I don't think anyone's complaining.. anyway, enjoy!

* * *

"Dead?" echoed Maria, taken aback, "How?"

The woman bit her lip nervously, as if she was afraid to say something more, but after a moment of hesitation, she said, "Ivan Braginski died in a car accident two years ago."

"That can't be…" Maria faltered, confounded.

"That's impossible," Kiku claimed persistently, "I heard him on a voicemail which was dated two _weeks_ ago."

The woman blinked. "You-you…what?"

"You see," he explained, "He called Laura Bonnefoy, a good friend of mine, two weeks ago and left a voicemail, giving this address as his own."

"You're friends with Laura?" The woman asked, and after Kiku nodded, she narrowed her eyes skeptically. "What kind of business are you here on?"

Now it was Kiku's turn to hesitate. He wasn't quite sure what story to give her. He could easily lie, but what lie would she be willing to accept for them to get more information? And the truth was just as dangerous since he didn't know whether or not she was with Teramist. Then he decided to not mention Teramist at all and keep things simple. "Well, Laura has gone missing. That is to say, no one knows where she is. But in the voicemail, Ivan seemed to know a thing or two about that."

"We're trying to find her. It's really important and she might be in trouble," Maria added helpfully. The woman regarded them both carefully, but seeing the sincerity in their eyes eventually won her over.

She sighed. "Okay, you might as well come inside." Relieved, they followed her into the kitchen, which smelled of fresh baked cookies and had a warm, placid atmosphere about it. After the woman offered them some chocolate chip cookies, their delectable aroma impossible to refuse, she introduced herself as Katyusha.

"My name is Kiku and this is Maria," he said, bowing slightly out of courtesy while Maria gave her a broad smile.

"Would you mind staying here in the kitchen while I go upstairs for a moment?" she asked kindly, and as they nodded, she smiled back and left the kitchen.

"Why the heck did she say Ivan was dead?" Maria asked in a low voice. "Actually, she never confirmed that he was here…"

"He's still alive, I'm sure of it. This is the exact address from his voicemail," Kiku stated. "But I wonder why she tried so hard to get rid of us. First saying that this wasn't his address, then saying he was dead." Maria shrugged as she bit into another soft, delicious cookie. Meanwhile, they heard footsteps coming down the stairs and Katyusha returned, but she was no longer alone.

With her was probably the tallest man Maria had ever seen, with very light beige-blonde hair and striking violet eyes. He wore a dreadfully calm smile on his face with a cheery disposition over him. But even though he seemed to be a fairly nice person, and even though he had yet to say a single word, Maria felt shivers run through her. She was not sure why, but she felt as if something about this man was…well, not quite right. Kiku, however, unphased by the uncanny aura, rose and held out his hand.

"You must be Ivan Braginski," he said cordially, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Maria noticed how he didn't give his name right away. Normally, the most polite thing to do was introduce yourself first, but Kiku was afraid since Teramist had put a bounty on his head. From the voicemail, he was sure that Ivan had connections to the company. So first, he had to find out whether he could trust this man like he could trust Laura.

The Russian shook his hand, still smiling, but said, "Why would you think that? Ivan Braginski died two years ago, da?"

"I don't think so," Kiku returned evenly, "Because he left a message for my friend Laura just two weeks ago, unless ghosts can use make phone calls and shake hands."

The other man smirked, "Ah, so you figured me out. Yes, I am Ivan Braginski, but here I go by a different name, Dmitri."

"Then I'm guessing that records say that Ivan Braginski really did die in a car accident two years ago," Kiku said.

"Da, lost control of his car while driving up a mountain in Russia before swerving off to his death," Ivan chuckled. Suddenly, the Russian gripped Kiku's arm tightly and his smile grew disturbingly wide and Katyusha stepped out of the room. "Now that you know my secret, I'm afraid I can't let you just walk away. I won't let you harm me or my sister."

"Kiku!" Maria jumped to her feet, alarmed.

"Wait! We're not here to hurt you," Kiku said quickly, "We're just trying to find Laura!" The Russian relaxed his grip, but didn't let go.

"Why should I trust you? For all I know you could be one of _them_, da? Come to murder me and my sister once and for all!"

"No, we're not from Teramist!" Maria exclaimed, "That's who you're talking about right? Teramist's people?"

"The fact that you even know about that makes you even more suspicious," Ivan said cynically.

"They're after me, too," Kiku maintained, never breaking eye contact with the big man. "I'm Kiku Honda."

"That name means nothing to me. I left Teramist years ago. I have nothing to do with their wretched affairs now. Why are they after you? Your story better be convincing." His tone was frighteningly cool as he kept his steady grip on Kiku's arm and Maria was afraid he would break it.

"After I discovered what the main ingredient to their Antidote was, I wiped the New York branch database clean with a massive computer virus a few days ago. Now they've got a bounty on my head," he said smoothly. "I've got to find Laura. You don't know how important it is."

"So you know the truth about the Antidote?" Ivan cocked his head.

"Hai. I was horrified when I found out, and now I'm trying to amend what I've done," Kiku asserted.

Ivan surprised him then, when he chuckled, "Amend? You can't stop them. You can't undo what they've done, bring all those lives back. That's truly impossible."

"I can try," Kiku countered fiercely, "I can't just let them continue with this, this atrocity! I took part in it, so it's my responsibility to stop it." Maria felt her heart swell in pride as Kiku spoke. This was the man she so strongly fell in love with. His intense determination to do the right thing was more than just inspiring, and she adored it immensely.

"It's a waste of effort, but who am I to tell you how to live your life, da?"

"So what about you? Why do the records say that you're already dead?" Kiku inquired, indignant at Ivan's careless manner.

"I also discovered the secret to the Antidote when I worked for the Moscow branch in Russia. But I'm not naïve. I played along, mainly because they promised me a vial when they released the cure-all to the public. My sister, Katyusha, was deathly ill at the time, and she had not much time to live. I waited and waited for them to give me the vial, but as you know, they do not plan to release their Antidote. They want it all to themselves. So I took matters in to my own hands and stole the vial we had been given to test."

"You…just took it?" Kiku stammered.

"Da, I grabbed the vial as soon as I could and powered my way out of the laboratory." Somehow, Maria didn't doubt his story. In fact, she could easily picture him using all that brute force to hammer through. "And then I gave the Antidote to Katyusha as soon as I reached her at the hospital."

"You tried it on a human? Your sister?" Kiku's jaw dropped. "What were the results?"

"Perfection. Just like anticipated," Ivan smirked. "It was like she had never had the disease in the first place even though there was supposed to be permanent damage. You saw her. Beautiful as ever, da?"

"It worked," he repeated, "I knew it would…"

"I knew it would too. That's why I took it, faked my death and fled Russia. But you must know that I wasn't the first one to try it on a human." Kiku didn't answer, but Ivan continued, "Eden's been drinking it for a long time now."

"I…I suspected as much," he whispered dismally.

"She's just been drinking it? Does she have some long-lasting disease or something?" Maria asked, clearly missing something.

"No, but the Antidote isn't just a cure-all. Repeated use _prolongs_ life, in theory," Kiku answered.

"Not just in theory. Eden's living proof. I thought you knew the truth about Teramist?" Ivan raised an eyebrow at the Japanese man.

"I do. They've been using human blood to create the Antidote. One life for one vial."

"That's all? Obviously, you didn't uncover everything," the Russian shook his head.

"What do you mean?" Kiku narrowed his eyes and frowned.

"You really don't know? You don't know how long Teramist has been in operation? What really goes on in their headquarters?" Ivan laughed at Kiku's puzzled expression as he let go of his arm.

The Russian seemed to be taunting them, and it was infuriating. "Well, if you're so smart then why are you still here, in London? If you fled from Russia to escape Teramist like Kiku, then why come to the site of their main branch? Pretty risky, if you ask me," Maria retorted, "Maybe that's why we were able to find you, a dead man, so easily."

Ivan blinked, startled at first. Then he went back to laughing, harder this time. "What's that expression they say around here? 'Thick?' You two really are thick! You think the headquarters are here? In London? The main laboratory would never fit under this island."

"W-what?" stuttered Kiku, shocked.

"They told you the main branch was in London, and you believed them? By now you should know not to trust them," Ivan said seriously. "There's no way the main branch is in London. It's in Spain, of course."

"And how would you know that?"

"When I worked for Teramist, I pretended to be very loyal to the company so that I could get close enough to obtain the Antidote for my sister. But pretending to share the same bloodlust as Eden wasn't too hard. I gained some degree of trust from her, and she shared information with me, never once doubting my loyalty," Ivan smiled triumphantly at his own cleverness.

Kiku couldn't believe it. How could he be so stupid? If he hadn't found this out, his whole plan would have fallen apart so easily. He should have known it was a lie like everything else. How was he supposed to make his way to the main database now?

Maria could see his shoulders slumping, spirits breaking. "Look," she turned to Ivan, "As smart as you might be, you're not the one we're looking for. We came here to ask if you had anything to do with Laura Bonnefoy. She's disappeared." She wanted Kiku to know that not all was lost just yet, and at the mention of Laura, his expression perked up once more.

A shadow passed over the Russian's face and his arrogant smile faded away. "She left London about two weeks ago. I warned her not to…"

"We need to know what happened. How are you connected to her?" inquired Maria.

"When Laura first joined Teramist, she conducted some research in Moscow, where we first met. We got to know each other better during the experiments, but she didn't stay very long. Then I took the Antidote and fled Russia. It was a long time before we saw each other again, but her research brought her here to London, to study their medicine. Coincidentally, we ran into each other at the market, and she was quite stunned to see me, since I was supposed to be dead. At first, I thought she was going to alert Teramist, but for some reason, she didn't. I'm not exactly sure why, but she remained kind to me and didn't even question me about…well, about faking my death."

"That's just the kind of person Laura is," Kiku sighed. "So what happened to her?"

"I didn't tell her anything about the Antidote. She didn't need to know and it would only just upset her, da? So she continued her research here for a while, but a few weeks ago she informed me that she had received a promotion offer that would transfer her to the Spanish branch to work on a special project that would put her research to use. I knew that was the headquarters, and that's were they…extract the human blood. I warned Laura not to go, that there were things she didn't want to see, but she didn't listen. By the time she talked to me about it, her mind was already made up. She came one last time to say goodbye last week and that's the last time I saw her." As Ivan spoke, Maria took one of the post-it notes that was sitting on the counter and pulled out a pen. While the Russian was busy telling his story, she wrote quietly, unnoticed by neither of the other two before folding it and slipping it into her pocket.

"Do you think she's found out about the Antidote yet?" inquired Maria.

"Most likely. But the Spanish branch is enormous, so maybe she hasn't seen it yet," shrugged Ivan.

Kiku fell back onto a chair and put his hand to his forehead, thinking. His plan was to find Laura and tell her about the Antidote, and then convince her to show him to the main branch, but now that wouldn't work. Maria waited patiently for him to recover from such a blow to his plan and his confidence while Ivan regarded them seriously. After a few moments, Kiku stood up and nodded his head at Ivan, "Thank you for your time. I'll keep your existence a secret. Let's go, Maria."

"What will you do now?" Ivan asked, out of curiosity more than anything.

"I'm still going to try to stop Teramist," Kiku said unwaveringly, "And I'm going to find Laura, too."

As they made their way to the front door, Katyusha showed them out, but Maria lingered as Kiku headed towards the car. "Here," she said, giving Katyusha the folded post-it note. "That's my number and below it is Kiku's number, in case you two ever have a change of heart," she gave a small smile, then turned and walked after Kiku. Once the two had driven away, Katyusha closed the door and went back to the kitchen where Ivan remained.

"I don't think it's a waste of effort," she said softly.

"Sister…"

"That girl, Laura, she was very nice to us. I hope she's alright," murmured Katyusha and she unfolded the post-it note and placed it on the table. Then she went back to washing the dishes as Ivan stared down at the scribbled numbers. After a long moment, he sighed and shoved the post-it note into his own pocket before trudging back upstairs.

* * *

"So what are you going to do?" Maria asked gently as they drove back to the hotel.

"I'm going to Spain. Perhaps if I can find Laura there, she can still lead me to the main database," Kiku said.

"You're going there all by yourself?"

"Hai. Don't worry, I'll be fine." But Maria wasn't so sure. How could she not worry?

"Kiku…"

"It'll be okay, Maria. You just need to keep your promise and go back to New York. Trust me; I'll feel a lot better knowing you're safe. It'll make my job easier."

"Alright, I'll keep my promise," she exhaled, "But I'm scared for you Kiku, I really am."

As they pulled up in front of the extravagant hotel, he said softly, "I'm sorry that I have to worry you, but I have to do this."

"I know," she whispered back, looking into his eyes. Then he leaned in and gave her one last parting kiss.

"I'll be back in New York before you know it," Kiku smiled as Maria exited the car.

"And I'll be there, waiting," she waved back before closing the door. As he drove off, someone tapped her shoulder. When she turned around, she found herself facing Yong Soo, who wore a wide grin on his face.

"Looks like your boy troubles have been solved," he chuckled.

"Hardly," she rolled her eyes at him. "Anyway, we should plan to leave for America tomorrow morning."

"Already?" Yong Soo asked, tilting his head slightly.

"Yeah, I promised. But I'm kind of disappointed since we didn't get to see much of London."

"Why don't we go for a walk then? I think I saw a park nearby on the way here. We can go there, and I'm sure everything will look awesome at twilight! And on the way there, you can tell me what happened," he added slyly, making Maria laugh.

"Okay, sounds good! Let me just throw on some jeans first," she giggled.

Yong Soo waited patiently outside her hotel room while she shed her maroon skirt in exchange for some comfortable blue jeans. On her way out, she grabbed her favorite soft pink jacket and threw it on. Then Yong Soo led the way down the street while Maria quietly conveyed the short and sweet version of what happened after she and Kiku left Arthur's apartment. And the Korean, surprising enough, refrained from interrupting until she finished telling him about the meeting with Ivan.

"Wow…that's some story," he muttered as they entered the park. The sun had just about set and the sky was a beautiful purply-pink color. And the park, oddly enough, was practically empty, but Maria didn't mind; it was quiet and serene, just the way she liked it. There was a small pond in the center and trees swaying in the wind around it. She was a little surprised that it wasn't raining, since that was what the weather seemed to be like everyday here.

"I know, it's crazy. Do you even believe me?"

"Yeah, I believe you," he said matter-of-factly as they walked up to the pond and sat down by its edge. For a while, neither of them said a word, Yong Soo still processing the information, and Maria enjoying the tranquil peace of the park.

"So how's everything back home?" Maria asked, breaking the silence, "How's my mom and dad? And my sisters?"

"They're all doing just fine. Your parents are still same as when you left, successful as ever. Maya just celebrated her seventeenth birthday last month and she got another new boyfriend. I don't know much about him, but he seems loaded too. Kirana is going to be graduating college this year and she's finally considering moving away from the estate entirely like you did." He paused before adding, "They miss you, you know. They still don't have a clue why you left all of a sudden."

"I know," she sighed. "I told them that I wasn't leaving because of them, but I don't think they believed that. But it's really not their fault."

"So why then? Not even I know exactly why you left. I mean, as one of your best friends, you'd think I'd at least get some notice…" he mumbled.

Maria didn't answer, but stared at the rippling waters of the pond.

"Do you remember that day, when we were kids, when I dared you to catch a fish in the pond by my house?" Yong Soo asked, changing the subject to lighten her mood.

His approach worked and she cracked a smile. "Yeah, with my bare hands. And then when I leaned down by the edge to try to catch one, you pushed me into the water!"

"I remember laughing so hard my stomach hurt," he grinned, "You should have seen the look on your face! I still remember that clearly, too."

"Yeah, but do you remember that Mai was there too, and she backed me up like a good friend and shoved you into the pond too?" Maria laughed. "I remember the look on _your_ face!"

"And Li Xiao was there as too!" Yong Soo laughed, "And he wanted to back me up by pushing in Mai, but she stepped out of the way at the last minute and he tumbled in instead. That was hilarious, da ze!"

"How could I forget! At the end of the day, Mai was the only one who wasn't sopping wet. And then Yao scolded the rest of us for ruining our clothes," she giggled again, "Behind his back Mai was laughing at all of us!"

They sat there, shaking with laughter until they both calmed down again, catching their breaths. But after that happy memory was finished playing through in Maria's mind, sorrow and pain followed as she began to relive that unspeakable memory that always came when she thought about Mai. Yong Soo, who was staring up at the darkening sky, murmured, "I remember her laugh so well. I miss her."

Maria's lip began to tremble, and when he looked over, he saw the tears spring into her eyes. "Maria! Are you okay?"

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, her voice cracking, "It's my fault. It's all my fault she's dead." The tears began to stream down her face as the image of Mai's bloodstained clothes flashed before her eyes.

"What? No, it's not your fault!" Yong Soo exclaimed, alarmed and shocked, "She was murdered, Maria. And you're not a murderer! You didn't pull the trigger."

"B-but it was _my_ fault we ran into him. And then he…he…he _shot_ her!" She sobbed even harder now. "She should be the one who's still alive, not me! I should have died back then!"

Yong Soo grabbed her by the shoulders. "Don't talk like that! Do you think that's what Mai would want you to be thinking? Of course not! No matter what happened, it wasn't you fault!" Then he pulled her into a hug and she cried into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she whispered over and over again.

"It's okay," he murmured softly into her ear, "I don't think Mai blames you one bit for what happened. I think she'd want you to move on." Maria's sobbing turned to quiet hiccups, until it was just heavy breathing and she wiped away the trailing tears.

"Thanks, Yong Soo. You're the best cousin ever," she managed a small smile.

Yong Soo was about to answer, but stopped short when they heard a distinct, loud clapping coming from behind them. The two got to their feet apprehensively as a figure stepped out from behind one of the trees. Still clapping, he began to chuckle, giving Maria the chills. "Beautiful!" the man applauded sarcastically, "Just beautiful. As much as I'd hate to interrupt such an emotional, heartfelt scene, I'm afraid Teramist can't wait any longer. Eden would really like to meet you, girl."

* * *

From the Author: Yeah...that's a pretty bad cliffhanger...sorry! But anyways, now that that chapter's out of the way, the story can finally get rolling! Woo I am just so excited and I hope you guys are too! :) So what did you think about that chapter? Please let me know in a review! Thanks guys!

Katyusha: Ukraine- Maya: Malaysia- Kirana: Indonesia. In case you didn't know :P

Anyways, thanks to my wonderful reviewers! When an author has a great audience, it's just awesome!

**itgirl18: **And it will be my pleasure to keep you hooked ;) Thank you!

**hetaliaforever123: **Happy for Ivan? Maybe? :) Ivan's too BA to die just yet! And thanks!

**NinjaRoll: **Well it is a big iceberg :P And I love the Olympics too! Thanks a bunch!

You guys make writing this fic so much fun! Funner than I ever expected! (BTW, which Olympic teams are you guys rooting for? Personally, I love watching USA's Fab Five Gymnasts! So dramatic! :D) Thanks soooo much for reading and reviewing!


	8. Chapter 8: Taken

Disclaimer: Hetalia's not mine!

Note: Okay! So I finally got to type up a more interesting chapter, or well, at least in my opinion. But I guess it's your opinions that matter, so enjoy!

* * *

When Gilbert got off the phone, he sighed. Elizaveta looked up from her notepad in concern after hearing bits of the conversation. "What's wrong?" she asked as Gilbert plopped down on the hotel bed, thinking. They were in the middle of coming up with a new plan, since they had had no luck finding Kiku after the encounter in apartment and had decided to call it a night. After checking in to a decent hotel, the two sat in Elizaveta's room (Of course she opted to get separate rooms, since she didn't exactly trust the albino to keep his hormones in check all night), taking notes about what they knew and what questions were still left unanswered, like the specifics of the crime Kiku had apparently committed. That could have been anything, but the wording in his profile unsettled Elizaveta, and they were about to discuss it when Gilbert's phone had rung.

"It was Antonio. He's losing his mind and needed to someone to talk to and help lift the burden. So naturally, he called me, knowing what an awesome friend I can be," he said, but his voice didn't have the energetic zeal it normally had. Instead, he sounded exhausted and down. "You've heard about Madrid's problem, right?"

"The mass disappearances? Yeah, it's all over the news," she replied.

"Well, Antonio's working on the case, but he keeps going in circles, he says. And if that wasn't bad enough, Lovino's gone missing."

"Oh no, poor Antonio! He must be taking it so hard. And I hope Lovino's not…you know," she whispered anxiously.

"He says there are no bodies yet, so it's impossible to know for sure if the victims are still alive. I wish I could help him, but we're still having trouble with our own case," Gilbert frowned at the ceiling.

"I wish I could just call Kiku or something and try to sort things out smoothly. I mean, I still have his number on my cell phone, but it would be just awkward, especially after what happened in the apartment…" she sighed. Hunting down a friend was so uncomfortable, not to mention stressful.

"He probably wouldn't even pick up anyway. We'll just have to continue the search in the morning. Maybe we can go back to Arthur's and ask if he knows anything useful."

"You're going to have to apologize first, if you want him to actually talk to you," Elizaveta scoffed. Gilbert just grunted.

* * *

"Eden would really like to meet you, girl."

Maria glowered at the figure in the hoodie that had come out from behind the trees. She couldn't make out a face, however, since there wasn't enough light in the sky and the park's lamps still had yet to turn on. "What does Eden want with me?"

"I don't know," the man shrugged indifferently, "Eden doesn't really tell me these things. Maybe she just wants to know what kind of sleazy bitch would date a lowlife scumbag like Honda."

"Don't talk about him like that!" she shouted, infuriated. Now, normally Maria didn't let name-calling get under her skin. The "sleazy bitch" comment she could handle, but _no one_ insults her boyfriend. However, Yong Soo was more enraged by the former comment.

"And no one talks to my little cousin that way!" he growled. "Who are you?"

"Me? Well, I'm one of Eden's Rivers, but you probably don't know what that means, so you can just call me Hiddekel. Now, are you going to be a good little girl and come quietly, or am I going to have to use excessive force?" he chuckled.

"You can go jump in that pond," Maria spat, gesturing behind her, "Because there's no way I'm leaving here with you."

"If you think you're just going to take Maria while I'm right here, then you've got another thing coming," Yong Soo seethed.

"I appreciate the guts, but if you want to save yourself from a world of hurt, then I suggest you step aside," Hiddekel warned, directed at Yong Soo.

"Or maybe you should just walk away while you can," smirked the Korean, "Because you really shouldn't underestimate us. It's two against one, and we've both been taught by a damn good martial arts teacher." Even as he spoke, he and Maria positioned themselves in the fighting stance Yao had taught them when they were younger.

"Maybe under normal circumstances, I'd be having second thoughts," sneered the man, "But I'm no ordinary human."

Before Maria could even stop to think about what that last remark meant, the man rushed forward with such speed, she barely jumped out of the way in time, her dodge so last minute that she lost her balance and fell on her bottom. Then Yong Soo surged forward, coming in with a punch aimed at the face, but the man crouched to the ground and kicked out his foot in a circular motion to sweep Yong Soo's feet out from under him. But Yong Soo knew that move, since it was one of his favorites (he claimed it originated in Korea) and averted the trip by leaping up into the air. He came down with an axe kick, which would have done some heavy damage to his opponent's skull, but the man caught the kick with his forehands in an "X" position above his head. Yong Soo was sure that move would have made contact, but the man's reflexes were so much faster than he expected. The man then grabbed his leg and threw the Korean. Not only were his reflexes incredible, but so was his strength, and Yong Soo flew back until he crashed into a tree, and it was a miracle his spine was still intact.

Then the man advanced on Maria, who had just got back on her feet. She decided to take a more defensive position, after seeing how Yong Soo's attack failed, evading and dodging the man's flurry of punches. After years of training with Yao ever since she was fifteen, she had the right to say that she was an excellent fighter, especially with hand-to-hand combat, but this time she could barely keep up. It took all her concentration to anticipate his next move and she could not afford to panic. But her training did indeed pay off, avoiding the punches, and the closest the man got to hitting her was brushing the side of his hand against her cheek. And her defensive choice also proved to be rewarding when she waited for him to make the slightest error. She had to admit, he was almost flawless with his form, but when she saw him put a little too much force into a left punch, she sidestepped, counting on his momentum to be a little too much in the wrong direction, and parried his arm and then grabbed his wrist. She pulled his wrist towards herself to bring him closer, and threw an uppercut punch that connected with the bottom of his jaw.

If he had been a normal person, a hit like that could have broken his jaw, or at least cause a decent amount of pain, but apparently Hiddekel was telling the truth when he said he was no ordinary human. He took a few steps back, but then steadied his stance and cracked his neck back into place, disquieting Maria, whose eyes widened.

"That was actually pretty impressive for a girl like you," he sneered, "But you'll have to do better than that, girlie." Maria was breathing hard, all that dodging starting to tire her body, and Hiddekel knew it, too. He surged forward, even faster than before, and Maria processed it just a second too late. Before she knew it, he drove his knee into her stomach, the force of the blow causing her to tumble backward quite some distance. She coughed into her hands, and when she looked down at them, she saw blood. "Uh oh. Eden's not going to be happy about that," Hiddekel frowned slightly at the red liquid. "And Euphrates is always on my case about wasting blood."

Maria struggled to get up, but that last blow really took a toll on her and she could barely move much less stand up. She tried to get back on her feet, but stumbled forward and landed sprawled on the grass. How could someone put so much strength into one move?

Seeing that she could no longer continue to fight, Hiddekel strolled over to Yong Soo, who was still on his hands and knees, trying to recover from his last blow. His back ached terribly, and he prayed there wasn't any serious spinal damage, but he couldn't even bring himself to stand up straight. "Damnit!" he cried as he tried to get off his hands. That throw had been so strong, and he had slammed into the tree so hard.

Hiddekel was standing over him now, a smirk on his face. "By tomorrow morning you should feel a little better. Which is good, because I need you to deliver a message for me. Tell that bastard Honda that because of his drastic mistake in New York, his beloved girl is going to have to pay, unless he finds us before we decide to…well, you know."

"Damn you…" growled Yong Soo, "This fight isn't over yet…" He tried one last time in vain to stand up, but collapsed on his knees once more.

"I think it is. So make sure you pass the message on, okay? Thanks." With that the man struck Yong Soo on the back of the head, just hard enough to render him unconscious.

"Yong Soo…" Maria croaked as she saw her cousin fall to the ground. She was angry and desperate, knowing Yong Soo was out of the fight and probably very injured. Ignoring the pain in her gut, she forced herself to get up and finally stood straight. After she wiped the blood from the corners of her mouth, she went back into a fighting stance.

"Just give up already," Hiddekel shook his head. His arrogant demeanor was gone but he was still untouched and hadn't even broken a sweat. "Your persistence is commendable, I'll give you that, but I don't want to hurt you anymore."

"Don't want to hurt me or is it just against your orders?" she growled indignantly.

"Well, both I suppose. There's no way you can keep fighting anyway," he said matter-of-factly.

"As long as I can still stand, this fight isn't over yet," Maria said between heavy breaths.

Hiddekel sighed. "I didn't want to have to do this, but you made me." Then he used his lightning speed and somehow ended up behind Maria. She didn't even see it coming. He chopped her on the back of the neck, hitting the pressure point and Maria felt her muscles give way just before she blacked out.

* * *

"Hey? Hey, kid? Anyone home in there?"

Yong Soo groaned and rubbed his eyes. His back was still extremely sore, but he was surprised that he could sit up without a rush of pain. "What happened? Where am I?" he mumbled. When he vision became sharper, he found himself staring at a blonde girl who was peering down at him in concern. She was wearing a tank top and running shorts along with tennis shoes and a ponytail, as if she was out on a morning jog.

"You're in park," she replied slowly, "Are you okay? Did you sleep here all night?"

Suddenly all the memories from the previous night came back to him and Yong Soo cursed as he looked around. Neither Maria nor the man was anywhere in sight.

"Excuse me?" the girl asked again.

"Um…yeah I guess I slept here all night," Yong Soo took a shaky breathe, trying to suppress his panic. At least his back felt a little better.

"Well, it's lucky that you didn't get jumped or anything during the night!" the girl exclaimed.

Yong Soo laughed dryly at the irony, but he really wanted the girl to go away. "Well, thanks for checking on me, I guess. But I'm fine so can go back to your jog."

"O-okay," she said reluctantly, knowing her company wasn't wanted. Then she turned and ran down the park.

Once she was out of earshot, Yong Soo pulled out his cell phone and immediately dialed Yao. After a few rings, that familiar voice yelled at him and he winced. "_WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?! You were supposed to wait for Maria to come back and then tell me last night!_"

"Stop yelling at me! We don't have time for that," Yong Soo said urgently, then quickly told Yao what happened at the park. "And now Maria is gone and I think you need to have a look at my back. I don't think anything's broken, but still…"

"_Alright, just stay where you are. We'll be there in a few minutes_," Yao said before he hung up.

The Korean sighed and decided to lie on his back in the grass under the tree since that was the least painful position for his spine. But the more he just lay there, the more his insides twisted with guilt. It was his fault Maria was taken. He hadn't been able to protect her. Not only had he disgraced Yao's teachings by losing so easily, but now Maria was in terrible danger because he lost the fight. Hiddekel had said that she was "going to have to pay" unless Kiku could find them. What would they do to her? The more he thought about it, the more he hated himself. Just before that man had shown up, Maria had said that he was "the best cousin ever," but now she probably hated him too. Hated him for failing to protect her like a good cousin would.

After a few minutes, Yao was true to his word and arrived by taxi along with Matthew and Alfred. When they caught sight of Yong Soo under the tree, they hurried over, Alfred asking question after question almost immediately.

"Be quiet Alfred!" snapped Yao as he knelt down, "What hurts? We can deal with that first."

"It's my back, or my spine to be more exact," Yong Soo said as he rolled over to lie on his stomach so that Yao could examine his back. The Chinese man ran his fingers along his spine, until he stopped around the midsection.

"Ah. There's a small bulge here. It must've have been much bigger earlier, did you notice it?"

"No, I just noticed the aching pain," Yong Soo griped.

"You have a herniated disc, aru. It's when one of the spinal discs between the vertebrae is torn and the gel around it seeps in and causes it to swell up like this."

"So can you fix it?" asked Matthew.

"He has to recover on his own. It will heal with time," Yao explained, "It already has a little. You should be able to walk now. And your back is really bruised up, which also probably made it hard for you to stand earlier. But you're really luck that your spine isn't broken."

"So there isn't anything you can do?" the Korean complained.

"A heating pad would help the aching stop and if you keep good posture and refrain from slouching at all then it should heal much faster, aru."

Yong Soo was quiet for a moment. "I'm really sorry, Yao. He beat me without even trying…" he muttered softly.

"Don't shame yourself even more with self-pity," Yao said curtly, "Now we just need to find him and Maria so you can have a rematch." But even as he spoke, a comforting smile made it way on his face.

"Alright, let's do it," Yong Soo cracked a small smile back. Then he remembered the message Hiddekel had given him. "You have Kiku's number right? I think he has to know…"

* * *

Even after the call had ended, Kiku just stared at his phone in disbelief and shock. After a few moments, he sat down on the couch, but his expression was still a mixture of fear and horror. Arthur waited for the look on Kiku's face to relax, but when it didn't, he asked nervously, "What's wrong?"

"Those monsters have her," he whispered. Arthur didn't need any clarification, and he pursed his lips, unsure of what to say. Kiku clenched his fists, his initial astonishment boiling into anger and distress. "I don't even know how they knew about her. I thought…I thought I had erased any connection between us."

"Didn't look that way last night," Arthur muttered quietly.

"They knew I'd come here," Kiku rubbed his temples to calm himself down. "They must've seen us last night. If Eden has her henchmen watching me, then I'd better leave here. I've put you in danger, too. I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry about me," Arthur halfsmiled, "I may be British, but I'm not just some soft English gentleman. I can hold my own. Besides, I've already agreed to help you. We need to figure out what we're going to do next."

"Yong Soo said that Maria's kidnapper left a message saying that if I don't find them in time…bad things happen," Kiku finished, trying not to think about what kind of "bad things" Eden possibly had in mind.

"So from what you've learned from Ivan, the main branch is in Spain. And Eden is mostly likely in the main branch, correct?"

"Hai. But I have no idea how to find the laboratory once we're in Madrid. It's probably underground, but the entrances will be very well hidden, even more so since it's the main branch," he explained, frustrated with himself for being so clueless.

"I don't think we'll be able to find the bloody place all by ourselves. I'm not very experienced with the whole breaking-and-entering thing. It reminds me of some of Alfred's favorite spy movies. You wouldn't happen to be a spy as well, would you?" Arthur asked sheepishly.

The question was meant to be rhetorical, a dry joke, but it gave Kiku an idea. "I don't know any spies, but I think I can get in touch with the next best thing."

Arthur cocked his head. "Eh?"

"The only problem is that right now he's on an assignment for Teramist and is trying to hunt me down," Kiku sighed. But Gilbert had just the skills he needed to break into the main laboratory. It was just his luck that right now he was working for Teramist…

"Oh, Gilbert? Do you think you can convince him to help us?" Arthur asked thoughtfully.

"Maybe. If Elizaveta's with him, then I might be able to talk him into it…but I'd have to tell them the whole truth," Kiku said slowly. He was reluctant to involve more and more people into his mess, but now it wasn't just his life at stake here; Maria was also in grave danger. Finally making up his mind, he sent Elizaveta a text saying: "We need to talk. Gilbert too. Can you meet me at Arthur's apartment?"

Not even a minute later, his phone vibrated at an incoming message from the Hungarian girl: "_Of course. We'll be over in a few minutes. And don't worry, I'll keep Gil on a leash for ya." _She ended her message with a smiley face.

Kiku replied with a "Thank you" and told Arthur that they would be coming. The Brit raised an eyebrow. "You trust them? What if they try to capture you instead of listening?"

"I trust Elizaveta to be more understanding. I don't know about Gilbert, but it's his help that we need most."

* * *

As soon as Elizaveta received the text message from Kiku, she knew something was up. Why else would Kiku contact the people trying to track him down? She doubted it was out of casual courtesy. "Kiku wants us to meet at Arthur's to talk things out," she told Gilbert, slightly frowning.

"Then to Arthur's we go," Gilbert said as they got back in the car.

"Okay, but please, please handle this better than you did last time! I really think we need to hear the details first," she chided.

"I will…I guess I owe him that much," Gilbert muttered. As much as he hated to admit it, he was still indebted to Kiku for that incident all those years ago. And it was totally un-awesome to owe someone for that long. So maybe he could pay it back this way and be done with it. But even as he thought about it, the memory began to resurface in his mind, and Elizaveta could guess what he was thinking of, but it wasn't the happiest memory…

* * *

**Four Years Ago (Gilbert Age: 18, Kiku Age: 17) **

As soon as detention got out, Gilbert was out the door followed by Lovino. The Italian junior was a good friend of Antonio's, but Gilbert really couldn't guess why. But since they were both really close to Antonio, the two had decided to be mutual acquaintances, and since they were often in detention together, they saw a lot of each other after school.

"Where the hell is Antonio? He was supposed to waiting for me outside the room," muttered Lovino and Gilbert shrugged.

"Maybe he got bored and went home with Ludwig and Feliciano after school instead," the albino suggested, knowing that if it was him, he wouldn't have waited for detention to get out. But as they made their way to the parking lot where Gilbert parked his truck, Lovino was about to walk away since he walked home, but his phone rang. Lovino stopped to answer his phone, and as soon as he picked up, Antonio was on the other end, practically shouting so loud that even Gilbert could hear him.

"_Lovino! You need to get over here right now! Bring Gilbert too!_"

"Why? What the fuck is going on and why are you shouting?" Lovino snapped back.

"_There's been a terrible car accident! Feliciano and Ludwig were walking to your house and were crossing the street when this car ran the red light and-"_

"WHAT? Where? Is my brother okay?"

"_They're okay, but seriously you two need to get here right away! It's at the intersection of Heta Boulevard and First Street." _

That was all Gilbert needed to hear and he hopped into the driver seat of his truck. "Get in, Lovino. I know where that it, it's only a few minutes from here." As soon as Lovino was in the car, Gilbert hit the gas and drove as fast as he could. He didn't even pay attention to the speedometer, not when he brother was in trouble. Once they reached the intersection, they saw the flashing lights of the ambulance, and blaring sirens were ear-piercing.

But that wasn't caught their attention. Shattered glass littered the road, and even droplets of blood. One car was parallel to the crosswalk, but another car had crashed into its side, it seemed. Gilbert and Lovino jumped out of the car and ran to Antonio, who stood on the sidewalk, watching in horror.

"Toni!" Gilbert yelled as he ran over, "Where's my brother? What the fuck happened?"

"It was loco! Feliciano and Ludwig were crossing the street, and I had been trying to catch up with them since they had left the school before me, and I was about to run to them on the crosswalk, but then I saw that car"-he pointed to the car that had crashed into the side of the other- "speeding through, and it was clear that it wasn't going to stop, and Feliciano and Ludwig were right in its path, and I though they were goners for sure! But then that car" –he pointed to the car parallel to the crosswalk- "drove up in front of the crosswalk and blocked them! It was like he used his car as a shield or something! So then the car that was speeding crashed into that car instead."

"So where the hell is my brother?" demanded Lovino.

"By the ambulance with Ludwig, trying to help whoever it was who shielded them. The door's jammed since the speeder crashed into the driver's side of the car. I don't even know if that driver survived! He might've died trying to protect those two," Antonio exclaimed, his tone fearful. Then the three dashed over to the ambulance and around to the other side of the scene, where they found Ludwig and Feliciano, along with some fire fighters trying to open the door to the car that had been hit. Just as Gilbert reached them, Ludwig, using his strength along with the fire fighter, wrenched opened the door, and the driver spilled out, falling to Ludwig's strong arms. It was Kiku Honda.

A fire fighter gingerly took Kiku's limp body from Ludwig and laid him down on the stretcher that carried him into the ambulance. As soon as he was securely inside, the ambulance doors were shut and the paramedic vehicle was off.

"Luddy! Are you alright?" Gilbert asked his younger brother.

"…Yeah, I think so," the blonde said, shuddering.

"But there's blood on your arms!" Gilbert protested.

"When the cars crashed, some glass flew into the air, so I have some small cuts, but nothing serious," he waved off, "And some of the blood is…Kiku's." Ludwig cast an anxious look in the direction the ambulance had left. "He saved our lives…"

"And what about you Feli?" Lovino asked, examining his younger brother, who was crying. "Where does it hurt?"

"I-I'm not hurt," he sniffed, "It's just that…Kiku looked so d-dead!" Much to Lovino's annoyance, Feliciano threw his hands around Ludwig and began to cry even harder.

"Don't worry, I'm sure Kiku's going to be okay," Ludwig lied, trying to console his friend. "He's stronger than he looks."

"Can we go to the hospital and see him?" Feliciano hiccupped.

"I don't think he'll be taking any visitors today," Antonio said sheepishly, "But we can try tomorrow."

"O-okay, because I still need to thank him!" Feliciano rubbed his eyes. "I hope he makes it out alright."

After some paramedics assessed Ludwig and Feliciano for any signs of head trauma, or any other serious injury, they deemed it a miracle the two were still alive, and let them go home. The next day, after school (in which the incident was the highlight of everyone's conversations) Ludwig, Feliciano, Lovino, Gilbert and Antonio went to the hospital right away. As they made their way to Kiku's room, they passed someone who bore such a resemblance to Kiku that she had to be his mom.

"Excuse me, but are you Mrs. Honda?" Feliciano asked politely.

"Hai," she replied, a bit startled that he knew her surname, but they noticed how she quickly blinked past tears. "Are you one of Kiku's friends?"

"Y-yes. He saved my life yesterday," Feliciano said solemnly.

"Mine as well," Ludwig nodded.

"I-is he okay?" Feliciano asked nervously, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"He…he'll live. It was a close call, but he'll survive," she exhaled. But then, to her surprise, Feliciano embraced her in a warm hug, his own tears streaming down his cheeks.

"I'm so sorry!" he cried. Mrs. Honda, unsure of what to do, just patted his back comfortingly until Ludwig pulled him off.

"Sorry about that, ma'am," Ludwig murmured.

"It's not a problem," she smiled kindly at Feliciano. "I'm glad Kiku has friends like you. I'm going to go home real quick to bring him some of his things that he requested. Do you mind keeping him company while I'm gone?"

"Of course, that's why we came," Antonio grinned. When she hurried past them, they continued to Kiku's room, and then quietly entered.

He didn't look nearly as bad as he had the day before at the scene of the accident. In the ER, they had stitched up most of his serious wounds, but it was a miracle _he_ was still alive. Ludwig still vividly remembered the crash, the two cars colliding in front of him. It had all happened so fast. Kiku must've seen that car speeding, and must've foreseen what was about to happen and put his own car, and his own life, in the way of theirs. Now he was lying very still, dreadfully still, on the hospital bed, with IVs and tubes injected in his arms, replenishing his loss of body fluids. His left arm was in a cast and bandages were wrapped around his forehead.

As the five slipped into the room and closed the door, Kiku stirred and slowly opened his eyes. When he saw them, he attempted a smile. "H-hello," he croaked, his voice hoarse.

"Hey Kiku!" Feliciano said happily, ecstatic to see him awake.

"Don't be so loud, Feli," Ludwig scolded, "He needs his rest."

"I-I'm fine," Kiku lied.

"No you're not…" Feliciano's lip trembled. "And if it wasn't for you, Ludwig and I probably wouldn't even be alive."

"Yeah, we owe you our lives," Ludwig said.

"No you don't owe me anything," Kiku shook his head slightly. "What about the other driver? How is he?" Typical Kiku, worrying about the guy who did this to him, Ludwig thought.

"He's okay. A few broken limbs and ribs for him, but other than that, he's much better off than you," Gilbert said bitterly. "Apparently he was high as fuck. Stupid bastard, doing drugs while driving so close to the school."

"Ah," was all Kiku had to say.

"Why'd you do it? You must've known that at that speed, that guy could have killed you!" exclaimed Antonio, unable to help himself, still bewildered.

"I knew you two didn't have a chance if you were the ones who got hit. But in my car I stood more of a chance of surviving if I got hit," Kiku said simply.

"You're so stupid," Lovino shook his head, but there was small smile on his face.

"Everyone's calling you a hero at school," gushed Feliciano.

"Yeah, even Alfred says that you were the hero this time," snorted Gilbert.

"After you get better, we need to celebrate!" suggested Feliciano cheerfully.

"Yeah, we can drive up to New York or something," Antonio agreed.

"Hai, and we can visit Yao at the Jade Dragon," Kiku smiled.

"Ve! Perfect! Now you just have to get better as soon as you can!"

Then the door creaked open and Mrs. Honda peered in. "I think it's time for us to leave now," Ludwig said, "Kiku needs to rest so he can get better." As Mrs. Honda stepped in, the others filed out, but before Gilbert left, he looked back at Kiku and muttered, "I owe you one." Not waiting to see if Kiku heard or not, he joined his friends outside the room as they left the hospital.

* * *

**Present**

Kiku and Arthur didn't have to wait very long for Gilbert and Elizaveta to arrive. As Gilbert stepped into the apartment, he held out his hand to Kiku (just like Elizaveta told him to) and put on a slight grin. "Temporary truce?" he asked.

"Of course," Kiku replied as he shook his hand.

"So, what's all this about?" Elizaveta asked as they moved to the bigger room with couches and chairs. She and Gilbert sat directly across from Kiku and Arthur so it would be much easier to exchange information.

"I'm going to tell you why I have that bounty on my head. Unless you already know?"

"No, actually, it doesn't exactly say. Just 'crimes against humanity' whatever that means," Gilbert muttered.

Kiku sighed, "That's just Eden's way of summing up my little episode in New York."

Gilbert was about to ask what that meant, when the door bell rang again. As Arthur answered the door, Kiku's phone vibrated, receiving a call from an unknown number. At first, he was reluctant to answer, but if it was from Teramist, or Eden, then he couldn't afford to ignore it. But the last thing he expected to hear was a Russian voice. "_It's Ivan. I have decided to help you find Laura. You will accept my offer, da?_"

"H-Hai, I mean yes," Kiku answered, blinking. This certainly was random. He wondered what made Ivan change his mind, because yesterday he seemed dead set on laying low and staying hidden. "Are you sure?" While he spoke, Gilbert raised an eyebrow at him, but Kiku held up a finger, signaling one moment.

"_Da, Laura was kind to me and so I'll help you find her_."

"Okay," Kiku said, still a bit confused, and then gave him Arthur's address and told him to meet him here before the Russian agreed and hung up.

"Who was that?" Elizaveta asked.

"Um…" Kiku didn't really know how to describe him, but before he could say anything else, Arthur returned with Yao, Yong Soo, Alfred, Matthew, and Francis.

"We came as soon as we wrapped up Yong Soo's back," Yao explained gesturing to the Korean as he sat down, struggling to maintain perfect posture.

"They're here too?" Gilbert frowned.

"Of course, dude! It's time we heard the full story from Kiku," Alfred chimed.

"Why does everyone always come to my little apartment," muttered Arthur, annoyed.

"There's one more coming," Kiku said apologetically, "But since he already knows most of the story, we can start without him."

"Alright, so get own with it," prompted Yao.

"Okay," Kiku took a deep breath, "I'll make this a quick as possible."

* * *

From the Author: Yay! The plot bunny took a significant leap with this chapter! Finally! The fight was fun to come up with, but I didn't like putting the flashback in the middle, but I didn't know where else to put it so yeah. So now you know why Gilbert owes Kiku! And the herniated disc? Yeah I had to do a little research with that one, and supposedly its really painful, but Yong Soo's a strong character. Anyways, what did you guys think? About the fight and the car crash?

And again, Thanks to my reviewers! I honestly cannot thank you enough for the support! Everyone loves confidence boosters :)

**NinjaRoll: **Yeah, I loved writing that scene too! As for the Olympics, I'm rooting for America (since that's where I live), the Philippines (My nationality), and Japan and China (Two of my favorite characters)! Thanks for the review!

**Tsuruya-san88: **Those are some great ideas! And Pirihon is my absolute favorite as well :) Thanks!

**Juusan13: **Don't worry, Belarus will be here, but she had a special role (hehe) and as for Eden, you'll just have to wait and see :P The plot bunny loves your present!

**itgirl18: **No, Malaysia and Indonesia aren't really from Hetalia, but the MalPhilIndo trio was pretty popular, especially in deviantart, so I thought I'd throw them in there. Thanks~!

Reviews are a great place to ask question :P but if a question will be revealed later in the fic then I won't answer it. Thanks sooo much you guys! :D You've all been just great! And don't go to parks at night! Or do drugs while driving. Or work for underground secret companies. Or- well, you get the idea ;)


	9. Chapter 9: River of Eden

Disclaimer: Do not own Hetalia!

Note: O.O Does that really say 39 reviews? OMG that's so awesome! And I couldn't gotten that far without my brilliant reviewers! :) Anyways, let's get this show on the road, shall we? Enjoy!

* * *

**Five Years Ago (Maria: Age 15) **

"That movie was amazing!" gushed Mai as she and Maria were walking home from the movie theater.

"A little too cheesy for my taste, but it was better than I expected," Maria smiled back. When Mai saw a movie she loved, she couldn't stop talking about it.

"And the part at the end, when they kissed, that was super cute!" she continued. "Of course, I knew they were going to get together from the start."

"That's because the hero always gets the girl," Maria giggled. The two ambled along the sidewalk lit by the streetlamps, the air cool with a light breeze. The sky was dark overhead and the usual city noise could be heard all around them. "The movie was longer than I expected, too. I'm supposed to be home in ten minutes."

"Well, if that's the case, you aren't going to make it," Mai frowned.

"I think I know a short cut," Maria said thoughtfully, "Want to try?"

"Sure, why not?" Mai shrugged, "But if we get lost, you're screwed."

"That's a chance I'm willing to take," Maria halfsmiled. With Maria leading the way, they continued on their way, taking a route different than usual. After a few minutes, the two stopped and looked around. The street lights seemed dimmer, and the city noise was quieter, as if it were in the distance. The windows of the surrounding buildings were shut, and barely any other lights were on.

"Okay, admit it, you got us lost," Mai sighed.

"…yeah, we're lost," Maria admitted and Mai sweat-dropped. "Let's just go back the way we came."

"…How many turns did we make?" Mai asked nervously.

"Um, I can't remember," she replied, biting her lip. "I think it's this way." They walked back in the direction she had pointed and began light chit chat to take their minds off of the fact that they were in big trouble as soon as they got home.

"Your necklace is super pretty," complimented Mai, "I was going to tell you earlier but I forgot."

"Oh, thanks! It was my mom's but she gave it to me as a gift," she grinned, fingering the jewel that hung from the gold chain.

"That's a real ruby, right? That's your family jewel or whatever, right?"

"Yeah," Maria giggled. Mai had always thought it was weird that Maria's family had a "family jewel" in which they used for anything important. Most of her mother's jewelry consisted of rubies more than anything else, and anything that was jewel-encrusted was ruby-encrusted in their household.

"That girl's right, it is a pretty necklace," said a gruff voice from behind them. The two girls whirled around to see a tall man who wore tattered clothes with a macabre expression on his face. From his pocket, he pulled out a gun and trained it on Maria's forehead, his finger hovering over the trigger. "Why don't you be a good girl and just hand it over? I don't want to take your life; I just want your necklace."

Maria was so petrified she couldn't move. She just stared at the gun in fear, her whole body trembling. Frightened and scared, she found herself unable to think, and Mai was virtually the same. But when the man took a step forward, frustrated at their lack of response, Mai snapped out of it.

"Don't touch her!" she shouted. Then, being the stupid, noble, brave friend she was, Mai stepped in front of Maria.

And the man, who was already trigger-happy and edgy from knowing that he was committing a crime, was startled by the sudden movement from the girl, and didn't think twice when he pulled the trigger.

The gun shot rang out and Maria let out a terrified scream. The man jumped back, and then looked around frantically to see if anyone heard. No one else was in sight, but Maria's scream and the gun shot were bound to attract people from nearby street. Deciding the necklace was no longer worth it, the man turned on his heels and dashed away as fast as he could. But Maria was no longer paying him any attention. She had fallen to her knees beside Mai's listless body. Blood began to stain her clothes at her chest, and Maria didn't stop screaming her name.

"Mai! Mai! Please wake up! Please don't leave me!" she shrieked. But even as she put her hand over the wound to stop the bleeding and used her other hand to search for a pulse below her ear, she knew she would find none.

* * *

**Present**

Hiddekel stared out the window of the personal plane Eden had lent him for this mission. Lately he had been doing some serious thinking, even though Pison often told him that thinking never did anyone any good. But recently things had gotten complicated, well, more than usual for him. Ever since Honda malfunctioned the New York branch, the branch he was supposed to be overseeing, things suddenly became difficult for Hiddekel. He had feared Eden's reaction when he reported the New York laboratory's obsolete status. But she didn't display any anger towards him, just gave him the mission to capture Honda. Even still, he knew that he had really messed things up by letting Honda get away. Even Euphrates was disappointed with him.

However, his mood had started to lighten once he had discovered Honda with his girlfriend in London. He thought maybe he could repay Eden by giving her not only Honda, but also a taste of sweet revenge. So, with that in mind, he confronted the girl, and learned her name to be Maria, along with her cousin in the park after listening on their conversation. Honestly, he thought it would have been easier to catch her. He didn't expect them to fight back at all, really. But it's not like they ever stood a chance to begin with anyway.

But what unsettled him was the way he acted when he faced them. The way he laughed cruelly, knowing he would emerge as the victor before the fight even began, and the way he insulted and goaded them before attacking. It was unlike him to be so malicious to his prey. Usually he wouldn't even say a word and just carry out his orders swiftly and faultlessly. As he gazed at the ocean out the window, he wondered what made him act out like that. Was it because he was vindictive towards Honda the whole time? And he associated them with the Japanese man? Perhaps. But Pison was the one who would enjoy playing with his food before eating, not Hiddekel.

He was pulled away from his thoughts when the girl began to stir. "Mai…" she murmured. Then she began to awaken, slowly opening her eyes with a yawn.

The first thing Maria noticed as she awoke from her dream was how sore she was, everywhere. She yawned groggily, her thought processes still slow and drowsy, but when she tried to rub her eyes, she found that she couldn't move her hands. The confusion was enough to astonish her fully awake. "What the…" Her wrists were tied down to the arm rests of the chair she was sitting in, and she was buckled in tightly and securely. Her surroundings were all too familiar to her. It reminded her of her father's private jet. She strapped in a plane.

"Don't struggle too much. You might hurt yourself," Hiddekel sighed, running his hand through his hair nonchalantly, as if everything was normal.

"You bastard! Let me go right this instant!" she shouted at him, taking everything in.

"And then what would you do? You're on Teramist's plane. There's no where for you to go anyway," he stated indifferently, "It's not like you're going to hi-jack the plane."

"Who the hell are you?" she growled, infuriated.

"You asked me that same question in the park. The answer still hasn't changed. You can call me Hiddekel," he replied.

"So you're just one of Eden's minions, huh? That bitch has everyone else doing her dirty work for her, I bet," mutter Maria.

"Don't talk about Eden like that," he mumbled.

"Yeah? Well, I can talk about her however I want! She's the one who ordered you to kidnap me, right? And she's the one who runs Teramist, too. What kind of crazy, evil psychopath is she?"

"She's not a psychopath," Hiddekel snapped defensively.

"Oh really? I suppose anyone who makes a concoction like that is perfectly sane," she retorted sarcastically.

"She's made the greatest breakthrough in biochemical sciences the world has ever seen," he shot back.

Maria laughed bitterly, "Except the world has never seen it. And taking people's lives is not a step forward for science. But I suppose you don't even care. You only care about your pay. I'm guessing she offered you an Antidote like she does everyone else?"

"Foolish girl. Don't talk like you know her," Hiddekel hissed, "And she doesn't just offer it to me. I'm more than just some goon. She actually _gives_ me the Antidote." To prove his point, he pulled the chain of his necklace so that the charm- or what would normally be a charm- came out from under his hoodie. Dangling from the chain at his neck was a tiny customized bottle, capped with a tiny cork. Inside, it contained a red liquid that emitted a soft glow.

"That-that's it, isn't it?" Maria whispered. "You had to kill someone to fill that tiny bottle."

He nodded. "Eden isn't as selfish as you make her out to be. She lets me prolong my life by letting me drink a vial twice every year, and she gives me an extra bottle, should I get seriously injured."

"As long as she keeps the Antidote a secret, she's a selfish bitch. Scratch that, she's selfish as long as she keeps killing people to make that," Maria seethed. "How could you carry that around knowing someone had to die for it? How could you even keep working for her after the lives she's taken?"

"Eden doesn't just take lives," Hiddekel said ardently, "She saved mine."

Maria narrowed her eyes. "Did she now?"

"Yes. Years ago she traveled to Thailand to determine whether it would be a candidate for another branch of the company, but she deemed the country not quite ready yet. However, she did find me, starving to death on the streets with no family to turn to. I thought I was going to die. Fade away into nothingness as if I had never lived. But she save me and took me in and made me a River. I am indebted to her for such kindness. So I capture the people she asks me to so that I can repay her for taking me under her wing."

After he was finished talking, Maria studied him carefully. Now that he had his hood off, and it was daylight, his facial features were very distinct. He had golden-brown eyes and brown, wavy hair that was spiked up and to the side. His expression was fervent as he spoke about Eden, which disquieted Maria, who thought for a moment before answering.

"Bullshit."

"Excuse me?"

"You tell that story as if it justifies the work you do for Eden but it doesn't," Maria said coolly, "It's like you're telling yourself that you're not the bad guy here, because Eden's the one calling the shots. And you're saying Eden's not a bad person because she saved you, but saving one person does not make up for taking anybody else's life. You're just making up excuses for yourself. You keep telling yourself that you're not at fault here, but you're only bullshitting yourself. The only thing worse than someone committing a crime is someone who doesn't own up to it."

For once in his life, Hiddekel didn't know what to say. He gaped at her for a brief moment, before stammering, "You-you don't know what you're talking about. You don't know anything!"

"_I _don't know anything? I know what it's like to watch your best friend die before you! And you know what made it worse? _Her killer got away_," Maria said, her voice dangerously low. "He just ran. They never found him and he was never brought to justice. There is no excuse for killing someone! So don't say that I don't know what I'm talking about!"

Hiddekel just looked away and stared out the window again. "Why don't you just go back to sleep or something? Don't make me gag you too."

Knowing she had gotten under his skin this time, Maria sat back as much as the restraints would let her and tried to think. How was she going to make it out of this one? She couldn't just let Teramist use her as a hostage for Kiku, but what could she do now? And it was clear she couldn't take Hiddekel, not on her own. All she could do was curse herself for her own powerlessness.

* * *

Even after Kiku had finished telling his story, all eyes were still one him for a few minutes. And even Ivan was a bit surprised to learn that Teramist had kidnapped Maria. He had arrived in the middle of Kiku's story, but listened patiently while everyone else was trying to follow along.

"Dude…this is crazy," was all Alfred could manage to say.

"I'll say," muttered Matthew.

"But we're all on the same page now, right?" Kiku asked.

"Oh my God. Not everyone who needs to be," Gilbert said as he reached for his phone.

"What are you doing?" asked Kiku.

"Antonio has to know about this," the albino answered, "The disappearances in Madrid? This is what he's been trying to figure out the whole time!"

"But we don't know for sure it's Teramist causing the mass disappearances," Yao pointed out.

"Let's see, there's a main laboratory under Madrid, where people have been vanishing without a trace," Gilbert said frankly, "Trust me, doing what I do for a living, you aren't allowed to believe in coincidences."

"Da, I'm certain it's Teramist," Ivan confirmed, "They did something like that in Russia, but on a smaller scale."

"Okay, we can tell Antonio as soon as we figure out what we're going to do," Kiku nodded.

"Figure out? What's left to figure out? We're going to take down this stupid Teramist laboratory and rescue my cousin, da ze!" exclaimed Yong Soo.

"Exactly, and we need a plan to do that," Yao sighed. "And I don't think you should come, aru. Your back…"

"What? I'm totally fine. Some stupid spinal disc isn't going to stop me, da ze," he grinned. But the mention of his spine reminded him of Hiddekel and his crazy strength. "Who was that guy anyway? He called himself one of 'Eden's Rivers,' whatever that means."

"I'm not sure," Kiku furrowed his brows, and then looked to Ivan.

"Oh, them. How to explain this…" the Russian mused, "First of all, Eden is not her real name. When she first created the Antidote, she gave herself that name. Since the Garden of Eden is where humanity was created, according to the Bible, she thinks that she created immortality or something like that. She's very vain that way, da? The Garden supposedly had four rivers flowing out of it. There are only four other people who Eden trusts enough give the Antidote to drink, and so she calls them the Rivers of Eden, since they only attained 'immortality' from her."

"Four Rivers of Eden…so there are three others like the one who attacked Yong Soo?" asked Arthur.

"Da, if you say that was Hiddekel, so the others are Euphrates, Pison, and Gihon. When Eden first gave them the Antidote, she gave them those names as well. Since they drink the Antidote so often, they have superhuman reflexes and strength."

"You know a lot about this," Elizaveta said suspiciously.

"I had to get really close to Eden to get my hands on that Antidote. But I didn't become a River, thankfully," Ivan shrugged.

"Do you know where the main laboratory is then?" Kiku asked the Russian hopefully.

"Da, I've been there once."

"Then you can get us in? From there we can find Maria and Laura."

"Da, I think so." Not as confident as Kiku would like, but it was something.

"Then we should leave for Spain right away. On the way there we can come up with a plan," Kiku said decisively.

"Alright, I'm in," Gilbert smirked, "You'll need my awesome help."

"Then I'm coming too," Elizaveta smiled. "Girl intuition is important too."

"Me too," Yao nodded. "I promised Maria I would look out for her."

"Don't forget about me," Francis chuckled (to Arthur's irritation).

"And us!" Alfred said excitedly, speaking for him and his brother.

"You're going to need a ride to Spain, and there's no better pilot to do that than me, da ze!"

Kiku blinked. He didn't expect all of his friends to be so eager to help him. Then he smiled. He and Maria were lucky to have such friends. "Then our next destination is Madrid."

* * *

Feliciano and Ludwig were continuing their search with no avail. But even still, the Italian tirelessly asked other citizens if they had seen his brother. Now the sun was low in the sky and Ludwig was about to call it a night, when Feliciano bounded around the corner.

A young man was intently concentrated on following his dog, which was sniffing the wall of a building. "Is he in there, girl? You're sure?" he asked nervously. His dog, a Lithuanian hound with a beautiful black coat with a brown nose and underbelly, yipped and pawed the brick wall.

"That is a cute dog you have there!" Feliciano bubbled as he came towards them. "Can I pet her?"

"Um, sure," the young man said, a bit startled. Feliciano crouched down the scratch the dog's head, and the hound lolled her tongue and wagged her tail happily. "Ona likes you," he smiled.

"Ona, that's a nice name," Feliciano laughed as the dog licked his face. "Oh, and by the way, you haven't happened to see my brother anywhere have you? He sort of looks kind of like me, except he says a lot of bad works and his curl is higher."

"No, sorry, I haven't. You're looking for someone, too? Ona and I were just trying to find a good friend of ours. He stepped out last night and never came back," he frowned.

"Have you had any luck?" asked the Italian. "Because I haven't."

"Well, Ona here thinks he's somewhere in this area. Actually, she keeps sniffing around this building."

"Really?" Feliciano surveyed the building, which seemed to be some sort of warehouse.

"Yeah, but the door is locked and I can't find another way in." Just then, Ludwig came around the corner.

"Feli! Don't just run ahead like that!" he chided, panting.

"Oh, sorry Ludwig! Anyway, this is…" Feliciano started to introduce the other young man, but then realized he never actually got his name.

"Toris Laurinaitis," he smiled.

"And I'm Feliciano Vargas and this is my friend Ludwig!"

"Nice to meet you," Ludwig said politely, then turned to Feli, "Antonio wants us back at the detective agency right away. He called saying it was important."

"Do you think Ona and I could join you two? I'd like to ask about this building," Toris asked, indicating the warehouse with his thumb.

"Sure! Maybe we can ask Antonio to investigate here," Feliciano suggested optimistically. "Maybe my brother is with your friend!"

* * *

Maria grinded her teeth in anger. She couldn't see a single thing through the blindfold, and her wrists and ankles were bound so tight she was worried the blood circulation would be cut off. Not to mention how humiliating it was to be slung over Hiddekel's shoulder like another piece of luggage. _This is it_, she thought, _he's taking me to the main laboratory. _The air around her was cool, and she guessed it was nighttime and that they were going through the city, but she couldn't be sure.

"I didn't gag you," Hiddekel said warningly, "But if you scream, I'm going to have to. Besides, no one in Madrid is going to come to your rescue. The Rivers have the whole city petrified with fear." Maria could almost imagine him smirking with that last comment. He had explained to her what a "River of Eden" meant, and she was disgusted by such a Narcissistic notion on Eden's part.

"You Rivers think so highly of yourselves," Maria spat, "But when it all comes down to it, you're nothing but Eden's servants."

"You still don't know what you're talking about," Hiddekel sighed, "She cares for us. She thinks of us as her children."

There was a pause, before Maria asked softly, "Have you ever felt remorse for what you do?"

He didn't answer at first, but then said, "Remorse is a weakness." She noted how he didn't really answer the question.

"It's not a weakness," she insisted, "It shows that you still retain the slightest bit of a conscience. And a conscience is what makes humans so special."

"Yeah, well, I told you, I'm not human."

"I think you are. In my opinion you're not much different from a human who's addicted to drugs. The Antidote's not much different from a drug," she murmured.

"Except for I don't have an addiction. I can stop taking the Antidote whenever I want," he shot back.

"But you won't ever _want_ to stop taking it, that's the thing. Because if you do, you'll become an ordinary human," she said bitterly.

At this he cracked a smile, "True. You talk a lot, and it's quite bothersome. You're lucky you're talking to me and not one of the other Rivers, or they'd knock you out before you could utter another word."

"So why don't you, then?" she inquired, curiously.

"Oh, I don't know," he mused, "Maybe it's because I haven't talked to someone like you before. Normally my prey is too scared to talk. But you aren't. I guess that fascinates me to an extent."

"Do you get lonely? I mean, you only really associate with four other people it seems." As she spoke, she heard what sounded like a large metal door swing open slowly. They must be entering the underground complex.

"No, not really. Eden and the Rivers are all I need," he answered, but Maria could sense that he was lying. She didn't respond and just listened to the steady echoes of his footsteps as he continued taking her wherever they were going. Talking to him took her mind off of the reality of the situation, however, and now that they had stopped, she felt her own fear and anxiety creep back into her. What was going to happen to her? What were they planning to do to her? And if Kiku did find her here, they would just capture him too, right? She couldn't count on him to get her out of this one. In fact, she hoped he'd never find this place.

Suddenly, she felt Hiddekel tense and heard another pair of footsteps coming in their direction. He whispered to her quickly, "It's Pison. Please just don't say a word, pretend like your unconscious." Sensing the urgency in his voice, Maria silently obeyed.

"Hey, Hiddekel," chuckled Pison mischievously. "Is that the girl? Honda's girl?"

"Yes," he replied as he started to go around the other River, but Pison blocked his path.

"Wait, let me see her," he leered, holding out his hands.

"No, my orders were to take her straight to her cell," Hiddekel shook his head.

"Aw, don't be so uptight. I just want to know if that bastard Honda has any taste in girls." Pison licked his lips.

"Eden wants her _untouched_," Hiddekel said evenly and pushed past him.

"Fine, have it your way," he shrugged. "I hope she lets us watch when she carries out her revenge." He laughed then proceeded on his way.

Once he was out of earshot, Hiddekel relaxed and said softly, "Okay, he's gone. He can be…easily provoked."

Maria shuddered. "Revenge, huh?"

Hiddekel didn't answer, which frightened her even more. "Don't think about it," he sighed finally, "And maybe Eden will let you go, provided Honda turns himself in."

"That's even worse," Maria growled. "And he won't turn himself in. He knows I wouldn't want that."

Again, he didn't say anything, but just continued walking. After a few minutes, he stopped. "We're here. Your cell. But before I leave you, I think I should apologize for my behavior in the park. It was rather…unlike me. Quite unprofessional. It's Honda I should be mad at, not you."

"You are the strangest kidnapper I have ever met," was all Maria had to say. His apology confused her. She had no idea how to read this guy.

Then he opened the metal door, and called in, "I have another prisoner for you. Be nice, she's special." With that, instead of throwing her onto the floor like Pison would have, he gently lowered her from his shoulder and put her down. Then he shut the door and left.

Someone carefully removed her blindfold and the sudden white light took some time adjusting to. Her wrists were freed and so were her ankles. "Thanks," she said as she rubbed her eyes.

"No problem," said a girl's voice. "Wow, they actually tied you up."

"But at least that fucker didn't throw you on the ground," a guy's voice griped.

"Yeah, being shoved in was totally uncool!" someone else complained.

"So we're all prisoners here, then?" Maria asked as she opened her eyes and surveyed her fellow inmates. They nodded and she continued, "Well, I don't suppose you know a way out of here?" Even though she already knew the answer, there was no harm in asking, right?

"If we did, do you think we'd still be here?" snorted the guy with the deep brown hair and wayward curl.

Maria shrugged. "Maybe you guys just haven't tried hard enough," she muttered as she examined the small room with its white walls and metal door.

"This room really is escape proof," the girl sighed. "Anyway, I'm Laura, and this is Lovino and Feliks."

"Wait, you wouldn't happen to be Laura Bonnefoy, would you?" she asked, surprised.

Laura blinked. "Yeah, that's me. Why?"

"We've been looking for you! Kiku and I, that is. I should've known you'd be captured too."

"Hold on, you know Kiku? Kiku Honda?" she repeated, astonished.

"Yep. Actually, I'm his girlfriend," Maria halfsmiled.

"You guys know Kiku Honda?" frowned Lovino, puzzled.

"You do too?" asked Laura.

"Yeah, I went to high school with him. What's he got to do with any of this?" Lovino raised an eyebrow at Maria.

"Who are we talking about?" Feliks pouted, completely lost from the conversation, but no one paid him any attention.

"It's a long story, but I guess we have a lot of time." Then Maria proceeded to explain Kiku's mission to take down Teramist and how she was kidnapped. Laura and Lovino listened carefully, but Feliks struggled to keep up.

"So he needed me to show him to the main database," Laura pondered. "I do know where that is, but I don't see how I can help him now."

"Do you think he'll be able to find us down here?" It's was Lovino's last hope for an escape, and he could really use an ounce of hope at the moment.

"Maybe, I don't know," Maria bit her lip, "But honestly, I don't want him to find us. Eden's waiting for him, so it's just a trap. But I'm not going to just sit here and be her hostage."

"Good luck finding a way out here," Lovino gritted his teeth, "But you should count yourself lucky that they're not planning to suck the blood out of you. The three of us are scheduled to die in a few days."

"What? How do you know?"

"Pison, the dirty little bastard, came by here to mock us," Laura spat. "And he told us our 'fate.'"

"And it was totally not cool," shuddered Feliks.

"Well, I have no idea what Eden has in mind for me…" Maria trailed off dreadfully.

"You can bet it's something sick and twisted," Laura said bitterly, which really didn't help Maria's nerves.

"Then we have to get out of here before any of us die," Maria insisted. "You all look like you've given up!"

"Because it's impossible. The door itself is half-a-foot thick and made of titanium. And even if we did somehow manage to get out, one of the Rivers would just bring us back. We're no match against them," Laura said as she leaned against the wall.

"I've gone through a million fucking ideas that won't work," Lovino repudiated in frustration, "We're done for, and that's the end of it."

"No! I refuse to believe that," she argued stubbornly. "There has to be a way…" Lovino and Laura didn't meet her eyes, but just wore dejected expressions on their faces. This couldn't be the end! It just couldn't be! A heavy silence lingered for a few moments, before Feliks suddenly piped up.

"Hey guys…" he chimed, as if he was on to something.

"Yeah?" Maria perked up, hoping he had thought of an idea to get them out of here. Lovino and Laura looked up as well.

"If they drink those Antidote thingies, which are made of our blood, does that make them, like, vampires?"

Lovino banged his head against the wall. "Just kill me now!"

* * *

From the Author: Hehehe I'm getting really excited guys! This story is beginning to unravel really fast! And I can't waittt! :D So what do you guys think? Any predictions? You might be able to guess what I have planned, but I won't tell you if you're right or wrong so I won't spoil anything.

Anyways, like I said earlier, 39 reviews for 8 chapters is freaking awesome! I love you guys so much :) Nothing is more amazing to an author than to recieve positive feedback! It's like...better than eating a slice of banana cream pie! And that's saying a lot!

**chibibeanie: **More Poland? Coming right up! ;) Don't worry, he'll have his part to play in this fic! Thank you~

**Firihon and USUK FTW: **Omg, I just have to say thanks a bunch for feeding my plot bunny so~! You've made my little bunny so happy! And yes, I agree, Firihon is just adorable!

**Juusan13: **Wow, you mentioned Toris just before the chapter I had planned to introduce him! Nice! And, I was just wondering, are you a poet? Cuz that's pretty impressive!

**itgirl18: **You guessed it :) And Feli and Ludwig will fulfill their roles as well, I promise! Thanks!

**NinjaRoll: **Yeah, the Olympics have been pretty intense this year! And thanks, I also love writing the action scenes, they're some of my favorite too :D You can bet more action is on its way!

**hetaliaforever123: **Yay, Filipinos unite! :P Thanks! I almost made suspense my genre, but too bad there isn't a third option.

I just want to say, I'm having a great time writing for all of you! It's my pleasure! :)


	10. Chapter 10: Tracking the Scent

Disclaimer: Do Not Own Hetalia!

Note: I don't really have much to say at this point, except Enjoy!

* * *

Yong Soo sat in the cockpit of the de la Cruz plane, adjusting his headset and making last minute checks before take off. Air pressure levels look good, engine's still fine, wheels work as good as ever. He smirked at himself. These procedures he had committed to memory ever since he started training for his pilot's license when he was eighteen. It was all second nature to him now, and he thought of himself as a damn good pilot. It was like the job was just made for him; he got paid to travel the world and not to mention how cool it was to tell his friends that he flew jets for a living.

Feeling good about himself, he stretched his arms and cracked his knuckles and waited for the others to settle into the plane. Then Yao came quietly into the cockpit, and tapped his shoulder.

"Oh, hey Yao! Is everybody ready to go?"

"Almost. But I came here to tell you not to mention that this is the de la Cruz plane. I already made Alfred and Matthew promise not to say anything, aru."

"Huh? How come?" Yong asked, puzzled.

"It just…Maria wouldn't want you to," he said vaguely, frowning uncertainly.

Yong Soo tilted his head. "Does this have to do with why she left? Please, Yao, just tell me already."

"…Look, Kiku doesn't know about Maria's family. He doesn't know that they're wealthy," Yao sighed.

"Why would she keep that a secret? What does it matter?"

"She has her reasons, so just respect that, okay?" Yao said curtly, but the Korean wouldn't let the matter drop.

"She told me she didn't leave because of her family. Was that a lie? Did they have a fight or something? If that's the case, I can talk to her dad, da ze."

Yao sighed again. "You're so persistent. No, don't talk to her father. And they didn't fight." He hesitated, but then gave in, knowing how stubborn Yong Soo could be. It would just make matters worse for Maria if he confronted the rest of the family about her leaving the estate so soon. Then he decided to tell the Korean about a particular night some five months ago…

* * *

**Five Months Ago (Maria Age: 20) **

It had been a busy Saturday night for the Jade Dragon, and Yao was exhausted by the time 10 o'clock rolled around, but he was glad it was finally closing time. Now they just had to finish cleaning and they could go home and relax. Yao began wiping down the tabletops as MeiMei (Xiao Mei, but she preferred MeiMei) started washing the dishes. On weekend nights, she and her brother would join their father, knowing that's when business really came to the restaurant. Li Xiao was about to turn over the "Open" sign when he saw a familiar two-door Lexus park across the street. He turned over the sign, but still left the door open for Maria to let her know they were still there.

She walked in, greeting the Wang family with a smile plastered on her face, but Li Xiao, having known her since they were little, could tell it was spurious. But, even if he hadn't known her for so long, her tired eyes, red and swollen from crying, would have been enough to tip him off that something was wrong. MeiMei could see it as well, but for her sake, pretended like she didn't.

"Hello Maria," she said pleasantly, "The usual tea for you?"

"Oh, um, yes please," Maria answered, trying to sound like her cheery self as she took her usual seat at the back of the restaurant, "Sorry for coming so late, I know you're about to close up…"

"It's fine," Yao waved off, as MeiMei went to whip up her drink.

"Th-thanks Yao," she said, her voice cracking. She sniffed, trying to hold back her emotions, and Li Xiao and Yao exchanged glances.

"Maria, you know you can talk to us about anything right?" Yao asked gently.

"Yeah, we're like, always here for you," smiled Li Xiao.

"I know, I can always count on you guys if no one else," Maria managed a smile, but then she couldn't take it anymore. Tears sprang into her eyes, and the two took a seat at her table as MeiMei brought the cup of tea and also took a seat. "You guys probably wondered why I left the estate so early, or at least my father asked if you knew why, anyway."

"It's none of our business," Yao shook his head. It was true that her father had asked Yao to find out, but he was never the prying type.

"I-I can't keep this to myself anymore," she said, her voice quivering, a tear rolling down her cheek, "The night Mai d-died, we were coming home from the movies, a-and we decided to take a short c-cut…"

"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to," Li Xiao murmured.

"But I have to," Maria replied, taking a shaky breath, "And we ran into him…the killer that is, a-and he wanted my r-ruby necklace. Then Mai…" Tears began to stream down both her cheeks and Yao patted her back soothingly. "She…died trying to protect me. I-it's all my fault!"

"No, it's not!" Li Xiao protested. "Please don't talk like that. I was Mai's friend too, and I know she wouldn't want to see you like this, dwelling on the past."

"He's right," MeiMei nodded, "I don't think she blames you either."

"Yes, she'd want you to move on, Maria," Yao agreed.

Feeling a little bit better, Maria attempted another small smile, "It's funny, that's what her sister said to me too. S-so I tried to move on, but I just couldn't for some reason. I couldn't stop thinking about it, and I knew Mai would be ashamed of me, for wasting the life she saved by sulking. But it was so hard to forget that night…especially because…"

The others waited patiently for her to continue, offering her encouraging looks and understanding expressions.

"Ever since that night," Maria tried again, "I've hated rubies. Every time I look at that stupid jewel, its red gleam just reminds me of blood…her blood." Her voice dropped to a whisper, and she began to talk a little faster, as if she were afraid that she couldn't tell them soon enough. And suddenly, it dawned on Li Xiao, the reason why she left the estate, and why she never visited her home. "Rubies were everywhere at my family's estate…I couldn't take it there anymore. Every day I was reminded of why Mai died that night. Soon I started to hate my family's wealth altogether. So…I left as soon as I was old enough to. So I could start my own life and move on."

"And you never told your family this?" inquired Yao.

"No…they wouldn't understand. My father…he means well, but he thinks that the right amount of money can fix everything. He wouldn't understand that it's what caused the problems…"

"We understand, though," MeiMei smiled comfortingly. "We can help you move on. I think you were right to come out here and start your own life." Li Xiao and Yao smiled along with her, trying to cheer her up.

But instead of feeling better, Maria's insides seemed to twist tightly. "Move on… For a while, I seriously believed I could. When I left, I was finally free from that night…" Now her voice sounded hollow, empty. "But my family's wealth won't stop haunting me. Maybe it's my karma for be a spoiled brat when I was little…"

"What are you talking about?" Li Xiao blinked, concerned as he heard the bitterness rise as she spoke.

"This…you didn't come here just to tell us this, did you?" Yao frowned. His hunch was correct; if Maria had really felt this burden since she left, she would have told them sooner. No, she must have moved on since then, because she seemed happy after she moved to New York. Something must have triggered these harsh feelings again. "What happened?"

Maria didn't say anything for a moment, but her lip began to tremble, and she clenched her fists. "I thought…I really thought he loved me, but I was just being stupid," she whispered.

"Oh…this is about…" Li Xiao muttered. Then it clicked in Yao's head as well. She was talking about her boyfriend. She had brought him to the restaurant once or twice, but Yao didn't know much about him. And frankly, as long as he made her happy, Yao didn't like to get involved in her love life. "What did he do?" Li Xiao asked.

"W-we had a fight. And I…I found out he was just using me. I should have known! He just wanted to get a share of the de la Cruz inheritance. He knew my family was loaded, so he thought he could wrap me around his finger to get to the money. And I almost fell for it too…"

"That jerk!" exclaimed MeiMei. "Just tell me who this guys is and Li Xiao and I will kick his ass for you!" Normally, Yao wouldn't let such language go by, but this was an exception.

"Thanks, but I already told him to get lost. I hope I never see him again." There was a pause, as she sipped her tea. "I…I'm really sorry I had to dump all my problems on you guys. I just didn't know where else to go."

"Don't worry about it," Yao smiled, "We're always happy to help, aru."

"And we're like, great listeners," Li Xiao grinned with MeiMei.

"Thanks guys, I fell better already," she smiled back, thankful to have such good friends. They had reminded her about who really mattered. Not her sorry ass ex-boyfriend, but her friends.

"You're still coming to the New Year's Party, right?" Yao inquired, lightening the mood.

"Of course, I wouldn't miss it for the world," she laughed.

Yao opened his mouth to say something, but then changed his mind. Perhaps Maria wasn't ready to think about meeting someone new, especially since she had broken up with her last boyfriend not a few hours ago. But Yao smiled to himself, knowing that the party would be a great place to introduce her to a certain Japanese friend of his who also happened to be single at the moment.

* * *

**Present**

"And on the night of the party, Maria asked me not to tell anyone that her family was wealthy because she didn't want people to 'like' her for the money anymore," Yao explained after he told Yong Soo what happened in the Jade Dragon. "But I don't think Kiku would care either way if she was rich or not."

"If that's what Maria wants, then okay, I won't say anything," Yong Soo nodded. "So that's why she left…" Then he chuckled lightly at the irony, "Most people want wealth, but she turned away from it."

"It's not that, she just doesn't want to live off of her parents' money. That's why she moved away on her own, aru."

"I guess that makes sense," the Korean sighed. Why did Maria have to be such a complicated person? And why didn't she ever try to explain all this to him sooner? He would've understood, she must've known that, right?

"Thanks," Yao smiled. "Ready to fly?"

"Yep," he grinned, and then said into his headset's microphone. "Welcome aboard Yong Soo Airlines" –he winked at Yao- "Please make yourselves comfortable in your seats and buckle in your seatbelts. That means you too Yao!" The Chinese man rolled his eyes then left the cockpit. "Our destination is Madrid, Spain. Oh, and guys," he said, dropping the formalities briefly, "By the time we land, I expect to hear a rescue plan! Other than that, enjoy your flight, da ze!"

* * *

"I'm so confused…" muttered Toris sheepishly. He, Feliciano, and Ludwig had returned to the detective agency, where Antonio was waiting with quite a story to tell. After hasty introductions between Toris and Antonio, the Spaniard told the three about the urgent phone call he had just received from Gilbert.

"Basically, there's an underground laboratory beneath Madrid, and that's where the missing people have been taken," Antonio said, trying to simplify the story, "And apparently, they use the victim's blood to create a cure-all, the Antidote, according to Gil and Kiku."

"You…you don't think Lovino's…" Feliciano quaked, eyes wide with fear.

"I… as I understand it, they don't kill the victims right away. He might still be alive," the Spaniard said tentatively.

"So where are Kiku and mein brother right now?" Ludwig asked. He was relieved to hear that Kiku really hadn't committed any crimes against humanity after all. His conscious hadn't settled with that notion, especially since he and Feliciano owed Kiku their lives. And now Gilbert was working with him, which made the blonde feel a lot better.

"They're flying over here from London. Apparently, whoever runs the laboratory kidnapped Kiku's girlfriend. We need to find get down there somehow. But…I don't know if the rest of the agency will believe this story," Antonio bit his lip.

"What if we got proof? Like an entrance or something?" Toris suggested.

"Easier said than done…" Ludwig muttered.

"I think I can find one for you," the Lithuanian continued. "I have Ona." He patted the hound, who sat obediently by his feet, lolling her tongue contently.

"Our dogs haven't been able to trace any out of the ordinary," Antonio shook his head disparagingly.

"You don't understand," Toris insisted, "Ona isn't just any dog, she's a rare Lithuanian hound. She's a hunting dog, and she has an excellent sense of smell. I'm sure your police dogs do too, but Ona is really, _really_ attached to Feliks and I. She knows his scent extremely well."

"Yeah, when I ran into Toris, his dog was sniffing out an old warehouse," Feliciano said helpfully. "We should go check it out!"

Antonio and Ludwig exchanged glances and then looked back at the two. They both had confident, pleading smiles on their faces, and it was impossible to say no. The Spaniard sighed, "Alright, fine. So where exactly is this warehouse?"

* * *

"It's getting dark out, so let's make this quick," Antonio said as the four of them walked up to the warehouse. Its brick walls were worn and old, and the windows were boarded shut. It was a fairly small warehouse, but the door was locked and bolted. However, Ona began to yip constantly, attempting to scratch through the door, then looked at Toris and whined softly. Antonio jiggled the door knob, but it was clear that it wouldn't open the slightest bit. "Ah, Ludwig, do you mind?" he asked.

Ludwig sighed, and when Antonio got out of the way, with one strong, swift motion, he kicked down the door. Feliciano clapped cheerfully and then the four of them cautiously entered. Antonio felt along the wall for a light switch until he found one and turned on the lights, revealing a rows of shelves lined up throughout the building. The four of them spanned out, analyzing the shelves for any clues.

"They're…just bottles of medication," muttered Ludwig, as he pulled off the cap to one bottle, revealing painkillers. "But there's dust everywhere."

Feliciano peered into a cardboard box full of sticker labels that would wrap around the medication containers. Each read in big letters "TERAMIST" with a tiny trademark icon at the end. But dust had collected on top of the boxes as well. Ona barked once, and then began to sniff the ground carefully for a scent.

"Hey guys…I think this is blood," Toris called, pointing to a red stain smeared across the concrete floor near the center of the warehouse. Antonio came and inspected it, confirming that it was, indeed, someone's blood. Subconsciously, his hand drifted to his waist to make sure that to two pistols that he had brought with him were still there, which they were.

Ludwig continued to walk up and down the aisles between the shelves, until he came across one shelf near the back of the building that was different from the others. It was…not as dusty, he realized, like it had been recently touched, unlike the others. He began to pick up the jars and bottles of pills one by one and set them aside on the floor. Then he lifted a big container, and behind it was a small black button that was hard to see, but Ludwig had a keen eye. After a moment's hesitation, he pressed it.

Suddenly, a portion of the back wall began to open up, like hidden sliding doors. The four warily walked up to it, taking a look inside. It had opened up into a small room that was empty with nothing but white walls and lights on the ceiling. It looked barely big enough to fit the four of them. They just stared into it for a while, before Antonio decided to carefully take a step in, followed by Ona and Toris. Ludwig entered as well, with Feliciano clutching his arm tightly.

"W-what is this?" the Italian asked nervously. It was such a tight fit, and he regretted coming in with Ludwig. He was about to step out, when the door abruptly closed, trapping them inside. Startled, Toris and Feliciano jumped, both giving out a sharp cry.

"_Verdammt_! What now?" Ludwig cursed. Antonio was about to say something when suddenly the entire room jerked downward at first, then began to descend at a smoother pace.

"It's an elevator," the Spaniard realized in incredulity.

"This…this is it, then. We're going to the underground laboratory, aren't we?" Toris stammered in anxiety as he signaled for Ona to heel, which she did.

"I believe so," Antonio said, tensing as the elevator slowed to a stop. _Ding._ The doors slid open, and he drew one of his pistols. There was no one around however, just an empty corridor with the same bright white walls before them. Without letting his guard down, the Spaniard stepped into the corridor, followed by the other three and Ona. The dog, however, tugged on Toris's pants and then put her nose to the floor and began to trot down the corridor.

"Ona, wait!" Toris called, and then realized he was shouting and covered his mouth. Even still, the dog kept moving forward.

Antonio glanced back at the elevator behind them, which was closed again, and back at the dog. "I guess we should follow her. She did lead us this far," he said to the others, who nodded.

They caught up with the hound, who moved at a slow but steady pace, down the corridor until it ended with a choice to go either left or right. Ona stopped for a moment, and then decisively turned left. Antonio went ahead of the group, vigilant as ever, but they had yet to run into anyone else.

"Feliks must've been taken this way or something," Toris murmured as he watched Ona thoughtfully.

"This place is so…empty," Feliciano whispered. But apparently, he had spoken too soon. As they approached another turn, Ona came to a halt and tensed. Antonio signaled for the others to stop, and then with care, peeked around the corner.

There was a guard, who (thankfully) was looking the other way, standing in front of two double doors, and on his belt hung a gun. Antonio pressed his back against the wall to stay out of sight, trying to come up with a plan. Perhaps if they used someone as a diversion and knocked him out, then they could get by him without sounding an alarm. But who to use-

Without warning, Ona growled and barked fiercely, sensing the guard around the corner. Toris grabbed the hound by her collar frantically, but it was too late.

"What's that? Who's there?" shouted the guard as he drew his gun and cagily approached the corner. Feliciano yelped and hid behind Ludwig, who balled his fists. But as the guard rounded the corner, Antonio moved quickly. Being pressed up close to the wall, Antonio anticipated that the guard would turn just seconds too slow. The Spaniard kicked the gun out of his hands and drove his elbow into his exposed cheek, throwing him off balance. Ludwig saw his chance and surged forward, slamming his fist into the guard's nose in a powerful punch. The guard fell to the ground, unconscious.

Antonio retrieved the guard's gun and offered it to Feliciano. "You're going to need some way to protect yourself since you can't exactly fight like Ludwig and I."

The Italian shook his head. "What about Toris? Give it to him instead."

"No, it's okay, Feliciano. Take it," Toris smiled, "I have Ona to protect me." As Feliciano took the gun, the Lithuanian continued, "Um, do you think maybe we should get out of here and get back up or something? What if there are more guards?"

"The longer we take, more and more people could be dying. You're welcome to go back though. But it's my job to make sure the citizens are safe," Antonio said. "Maybe you should go too, Feli."

"No, I want to find _fratello_ first!" he said, trying to sound brave.

"Then I'll stay too, at least until we find Feliks, and besides, you need Ona, I guess," Toris resolved, releasing Ona's collar. The dog proceeded to paw the double doors that the guard had been stationed at.

"It's locked…" Antonio frowned, but Ludwig searched the guard's pockets and pulled out a key card. Next to the double doors was a place for the card to be swiped, much like a hotel door, Toris thought. After the card was swiped, the double doors slid open and Ona went back to tracking down Feliks's scent. Again, the hall was empty.

"Something's not right…why was there only one guard?" Ludwig frowned.

"I don't know, but isn't that a good thing for us?" Toris asked nervously.

"I guess…" But Ludwig wasn't too sure. It didn't feel right. But they continued following the hound, passing doors that Ona didn't seem interested in. Ludwig glimpsed inside the window to one of those rooms, and it seemed to be a chemical lab, with a variety of bottles and vials lined up containing different colored liquids. But it was also vacant.

After a few minutes, Ona came to another stop, and perked her ears up, listening. The others stopped as well and listened. "Do you guys here that?" Toris asked, furrowing his brows. They nodded. It sounded like the echo of someone yelling at the other end of the corridor. No, it was two people yelling at each other. Antonio couldn't make out the words, but he could tell that they were very angry at each other. He and Feliciano looked at each other, and a small smile crept onto his lips. Such angry shouting could only mean one thing. Then, Ona bounded off in the direction of the two voices, and the others ran after her a split second later.

* * *

"Ugh! Why are you so annoying?!" Lovino shouted.

"Me? You're the one who's infuriating!" Maria yelled back, fuming. Laura rolled her eyes as Feliks chuckled to himself as he fixed Laura's braid. The two hotheads had been arguing nonstop for almost half an hour. Maria had been trying to come up with a plan to escape but Lovino keep shooting her spirits down. Even though he was right most of the time, Maria hated his pessimism.

"You two need to calm down. Your arguing won't solve a thing," Laura snapped.

"Well excuse me for wanting to get out of here," Maria retorted, crossing her arms.

"What? You think I don't want to get out too? Of course I do! But none of your stupid plans are going to work! And we're going to get out fucking blood sucked out of us! This is so fucking stupid! Of course I'm fucking mad!" Lovino exclaimed.

"Will you stop cussing?" Laura chided.

"All done!" Feliks clapped, admiring his masterpiece of Laura's hair.

"No, I will not fucking stop cussing!" Lovino replied angrily.

"That's it!" Maria shouted hysterically. "I can't take this anymore!" She felt like pulling her hair out in frustration. She began to pound on the metal door wildly. "Somebody let me out of here!"

"No one's coming to help us! We're going to die here," Lovino spat.

But Maria didn't stop pounding. "No! This can't be the end of it!"

Then, to everyone's surprise, the door swung open. Maria's jaw dropped, as did Lovino's, Laura's, and Feliks's.

"_Fratello_? Is that you?" an Italian asked as he peered inside.

"Feliciano? What the _fuck_ are you doing down here?" Lovino gawked. Then Antonio, Ludwig, and Toris appeared outside the door as well.

"Lovi!" Antonio sang happily as he pulled the Italian older brother into a tight hug.

"Antonio? How the hell did you find me?"

Meanwhile, Toris and Ona ran up to Feliks, the hound licking the blonde's face happily. "Feliks! There you are! Ona led us right to you!"

"That's a good girl, Ona," Feliks laughed, scratching behind the dog's ears. "Totally cool!"

"We're…saved," Laura said in disbelief.

"Your dog tracked him down all the way down here?" Maria asked. "That's really impressive! I guess we were actually lucky to be locked up in here with Feliks."

"I'll say," Lovino muttered. Then reality came back to him as he looked from his brother to Ludwig, and suddenly he was angry again. "Potato bastard! Why would you bring my brother down here?! Do you know how dangerous this place is?"

"We just wanted to help find you!" Feliciano explained, trying to take his attention of Ludwig, who was used to Lovino's verbal abuse by now.

"You guys, we need to get out of here right away," Toris said worriedly, glancing around the corridor to see if anyone was coming.

"He's right, it's time to leave," Ludwig agreed.

"Right," Antonio nodded and began to lead the way from which they came.

Maria started to follow them, thankful for the rescue, but noticed Laura wasn't with them. She turned and saw that Laura was looking at the opposite direction of the corridor, like she contemplating going that way instead. Lovino stopped as well and called, "Hey, Laura, are you coming or what?"

"I…I can't go just yet," she said, and her expression was pained, as if she were making a difficult decision.

"And why not?" demanded Lovino.

"I had a part in Teramist's atrocities. It's my responsibility to stop them," Laura replied, growing surer of herself, "But you need to get everyone else out of here. It's your job right? You need to make sure everyone else gets out safe."

"Laura, just come with us! We can come back and stop them later," Lovino objected.

"I can't wait another moment. I'm sorry Lovino, just get everyone to safety." And with that, she headed the other way. Reluctantly, Lovino turned away and joined the others. But Maria hesitated. Laura's words had reminded her of what Kiku had said to Ivan. Then she ran to catch up with Laura.

"Wait, I'm coming with you," she said.

"What? No, Maria, you need to get out of here," Laura protested.

"You're going to need help," Maria grinned, "And I'm tougher than I look."

She sighed, giving in, "Okay, fine, you can come. Oh, Kiku's going to kill me for this."

"Are you sure you don't want to take Lovino's advice? They could kill you, you know," Maria asked, knowing that her life was not as in jeopardy as hers was. She knew Eden wouldn't kill her until Kiku came, but Laura was expendable in Eden's eyes.

Laura halfsmiled, "Life's a gamble, Maria. It's all chance, if you think about it. Since that's the way I see it, I've decided to follow my gut whenever I can."

"That's a very impulsive way of thinking," she said indifferently, since she often did that as well. Yao would call her pigheaded and reckless at times. That's how she got caught up in all this, isn't it?

"People die every day," Laura shrugged, "You just can't let yourself believe it will happen to you."

"I like the way you think," Maria giggled. The two cautiously made their way down the corridors, Laura leading the way. "Do you know your way around here? All the hallways look the same…"

"Well…not exactly. Only the Rivers and Eden can navigate this place without a map. It's enormous. I just have to find my way to Area B…"

Maria glanced over to her companion. "You're not telling me everything, are you?"

Laura raised an eyebrow. "I should have known Kiku's girlfriend would be just as perceptive as he is." Then her voice grew serious. "You're right. I didn't want to talk about it because I thought I was going to die and that there was nothing I could do about it anyway, but now that I'm free…"

"What is it?"

"Well, the Antidote isn't the worst concoction Eden stirs up down here. She's put Radiptanium to other uses as well. Before she had me locked up, I discovered a second big innovation created by Teramist. It was called Project AD."

"AD? Like Anti-Dote?" Maria guessed, but Laura shook her head.

"No, it's actually the opposite of the Antidote. It stands for Acid Death," she said gravely. "It's still in its testing phase, so I have to find it and destroy the data before Eden gets it to work."

"Acid Death," Maria echoed, shuddering. "That doesn't sound good."

"No, it's not. While the Antidote is intended to heal its consumer, Project AD ruthlessly kills its consumer."

* * *

From the Author: :D Yay! Finally I've reached this part in the plot! It only gets better from here :) I hope this chapter wasn't too confusing, I tried to make it easy to relate to Maria but it was harder than I thought it would be. Anyways, what did you guys think? Interesting? Needs improving? Feel free to tell me so in a review :)

BTW, 45 is a big number! I can't believe I've gotten this far, and it's all thanks to you guys!

**chibibeanie: **Thanks! I can't wait to type up this part of his that I have in mind (hehe)!

**Guest: **:D When I first started writing, I didn't think I'd have many readers, much less fans! You made my day with that review, just thought you should know, so thanks!

**Tsuruya-san88: **Why thank you! Like I said, I'm not going to confirm or deny anything for the sake of the mystery, but good guesses! ;)

**NinjaRoll: **Interesting character indeed ;) and thanks, glad you like it! I already have the next chapter in mind, so I can assure you it will have much more action than this one!

**Juusan13: **:) I give you my gratitude~ And the way you come up with those rhymes are just as impressive! Poetry's not exactly my forte, but you're really good at it!

**iwha: **No, I actually haven't seen that one, but I've heard of it! Maybe I'll go watch it, now that you've recommended it :P

Thanks to all of my readers and reviewers out there! *sniff* you all make me so happy! I love you guys! Until next chapter!


	11. Chapter 11: Captured Again

Disclaimer: Hetalia. Not owned by me in any way.

Note: Okay, while there is action in this chap, it acts like more of a set up chapter. I have so many plans for this story but it takes a lot of setting up unfortunately :/ please bear with me. But of course, still enjoy!

* * *

"There are many entrances to the main laboratory throughout Madrid, some more discrete than others," Ivan explained. The gang had just landed in the airport not even one hour ago. On the way, they had been trying to figure out how they were going to infiltrate the laboratory without being noticed. Gilbert had a few tricks up his sleeve, but after that, they were pretty much playing it by ear. Presently, they were following Ivan who was leading them through a more secluded part of Madrid as he recalled the exact location of one of the entrances. Since it was past sundown, there was almost no one else on the streets, except for the patrolling groups of policemen. "The main laboratory is divided into four sectors: Areas A, B, C, and D. I think the captives are held in Area D. But I've only been to Areas A and B, so I'm not sure where the entrance to D is. I'll show you to B instead. From there we can figure it out, da?"

"But didn't you say that the lab is enormous? We're going to have a hard time finding our way around," Elizaveta pointed out.

"It's like a...oh, what's the word, a labyrinth," Ivan concurred. "But there's nothing we can do about it. Only the Eden and her Rivers can navigate through effortlessly, since they've lived there for who knows how long."

"He's right, we're just going to have to wing it," Kiku sighed, gripping the metal suitcase at his side.

"What's with the suitcase, anyway?" Gilbert asked.

"It…it has everything I need to wipe out the main database," the Japanese man answered reluctantly.

"Huh? Dude, I doubt it takes a whole suitcase to carry around my USB drive," Alfred snorted.

"I also put the security codes in here," Kiku continued, "…among other things."

Gilbert was about to question further, when Ivan announced, "I think this is the place, da?" The Russian was facing a dark alley way between two tall buildings. He took them further into the alleyway until there was another wall in their way.

"Um, it's a dead end," Matthew said, confused. But then Ivan pointed to ground at his feet, where a manhole lay.

"A manhole? Please don't tell me we're going in the sewer," Elizaveta pouted.

"I'm with her," complained Francis, staring distastefully at the manhole. "I really don't want to smell like sewage the whole night."

"It looks like an ordinary manhole, doesn't it?" Ivan smirked. Then he easily lifted the metal circle and threw it aside. Kiku peered down inside. Sure enough, a white hallway was below them, not a musty sewage.

"That's got to be the laboratory," he said, as Ivan took the honor of going down first.

Once they were all inside, Gilbert looked around warily, "Should we expect a lot of obstacles?"

"Well, there aren't too many guards down here because the Rivers can run this place on their own. But since it's nighttime, they must be out running errands for Eden. One or two of them might still be down here. They're our biggest threat," Ivan answered.

"Okay, good thing I always come awesomely prepared," Gilbert snickered. Elizaveta rolled her eyes, but in secret wondered how many gadgets were hidden on the inside of his coat. He had given her a gun, but she had also brought her frying pan. It was just a preference choice of hers.

"Prepared? Who needs to be prepared? All I need are my fists, da ze," Yong Soo said triumphantly, pumping his fist in the air.

"Be quiet, they might hear you," Yao scolded.

"Yes, we need to get a move on," Arthur agreed. The Brit also carried a handgun, courtesy of Gilbert (he had plenty to spare), but was also armed with his camera, ready to snap pictures for evidence of Teramist's atrocities.

"Hai. Ivan, take the others and find Laura and Maria. Then get them out of here," Kiku said.

"Wait, you aren't coming?" Matthew asked, frowning and raising an eyebrow.

"No, I have a job to do," Kiku replied, tapping his metal suitcase. "You guys go on without me. Just promise you'll find Maria for me."

"No problem, dude, you've got the hero on the job!" Alfred smiled.

"Consider it done," Yong Soo agreed, giving a thumbs up. Kiku nodded gratefully and started making his way in the opposite direction in the hallway. He needed to find Area A, while the others were heading to Area D. But then Gilbert and Elizaveta ran up next to him.

"We're coming with you," the Hungarian girl grinned.

"What? No, you don't have to- "

"Yeah, well we're coming anyway. I think of myself as more than a mercenary bounty hunter," Gilbert smirked, "My job is to deliver awesome justice, and helping you would be doing just that."

Kiku smiled back. "It's good to know money isn't the only thing on your mind. So we need to get to Area A and shut down this facility as fast a possible. The only problem is I'm no sure how to get there."

"If we're in Area B right now, then it shouldn't be too far. I guess we'll just have to keep moving until we find it," Elizaveta said.

"Right." But Kiku was still on edge, even with the bounty hunter in his company. Area A was the most important sector, so it was bound to be the most guarded. And he was sure that Eden was expecting his arrival.

* * *

"So then Project AD is a poison instead of a cure?" Maria asked, stunned.

"Yes. Radiptanium is deadly mixed with certain chemicals, and Eden's decided to put that to use. But that's not all. Eden is a sick and twisted person, like I said before. The Antidote and Acid Death are identical in appearance," Laura went on. "It's impossible to distinguish the two just by looking at it."

"But what's the point in that?"

"Well, I'm not sure. She could offer someone Acid Death, but lie and say it's the Antidote. Then that person would be dead for sure," she pondered. "If Kiku didn't tell you this, than he probably doesn't know about it."

"I don't think he does," Maria confirmed, knowing this would have upset him much more than the Antidote. "So that's why you didn't want to leave?"

"Project AD is in its final stages. Soon it'll be ready. Actually, it might already be," she mused, "Even more reason to destroy it as soon as possible. Once it's completed, who knows what Eden will do with it. She could turn it into a weapon for all we know. If she made enough of it, she could contaminate water supplies anywhere."

"That is bad news," Maria shivered. "You're right, we need to destroy it."

Laura nodded. "We have to get to Area B right away. We're in Area D right now, but this is the general direction to the next sector."

Maria was about to answer, when suddenly a blaring siren went off, resonating off the walls of the corridor. Loud booms could be heard in the distance, as if heavy metal doors were slamming shut.

Laura cursed. "They know. We need to move faster!" Then she picked up her pace, dashing down the hall with Maria not far behind.

* * *

Not long after Laura and Maria had separated from their group, Lovino and Antonio were having second thoughts about leaving the facility so soon. "Laura was right, the longer we wait, the more people could die," Lovino whispered to his detective partner.

"We're supposed to keep the citizens of Madrid safe," Antonio nodded grimly.

"Hey potato bastard!" Lovino called, and the group came to a stop to look back as him. Ludwig gave him a questioning look. "Antonio and I can't leave yet either. We need to go back and save the other captives who are still alive. Promise me you'll make sure my brother gets out safely, okay?" As much as he hated the German, he knew that the blonde had incredible strength.

"I'll take care of him," Ludwig nodded.

"But _fratello_! Are-are you sure?" Feliciano quivered.

"Don't worry about me," Lovino waved off. "Just get out of here, alright?" Feliciano nodded slowly, and then continued walking with towards the elevator with Ludwig, Toris, and Feliks. Ona yipped and licked Antonio's fingers before bounding off to join them.

"Let's go," the Spaniard said, and with that, the two began to run back deeper into Area D. Feliciano glanced back to see them going in the other direction and bit his lip nervously.

A few minutes later, the elevator was in their sights. "Finally! We can get out of here," Toris exhaled.

"I know right! Being stuck down here in these stuffy halls is totes boring," Feliks agreed.

But as they approached the sliding doors of the elevator, an earsplitting alarm sounded throughout the hallways. A giant metal door came down hard in front of the elevator's sliding doors, blocking their way out.

"Feliciano!" Ludwig shouted, turning around to look at him as if he set off the alarm.

"It wasn't me, I swear!" he answered, panicking.

"_Verdammt_!" Ludwig punched the wall in frustration. Now how were they going to get out of here?

* * *

"Alfred! What did you do?" Yao shouted above the piercing alarm.

"I didn't do anything!" the American exclaimed defensively. Then Yao looked over his shoulder to glare at Yong Soo.

"Don't look at me! I'm sneakier than that, da ze!"

"Maybe that means we should get out of here?" Matthew suggested fretfully.

"No, once the alarm has been sounded all the exits have been already sealed. We have no choice but to keep moving," Ivan explained loudly to Matthew's dismay. A few minutes after the alarm went off, the halls were quiet again, as if nothing had happened.

"Huh? It just stopped," Alfred wondered aloud.

"Eden probably just wanted us to know that she knows we're here," Ivan said darkly.

"Why don't we just focus on finding my sister and Kiku's girl, and then get out of here," Francis gulped.

"This is bad. Any minute one of those Rivers could be attacking us," Arthur muttered.

"If that does happen, I hope it's the same bastard who took Maria," Yong Soo seethed. "Then I can have my rematch."

"You shouldn't be so eager to fight! Your back hasn't even healed," Yao chided again, but the Korean just ignored him.

"I think we are about to enter Area C. From there we can head to Area D, da?" Ivan said, still in the lead. He took confident strides, unafraid of whatever Teramist had to throw at him. He'd broken out of a laboratory once and he could do it again, he was sure.

* * *

Kiku, Gilbert, and Elizaveta were running, even after the alarm had ceased. Eden had known they were coming, and it was only a matter of time before she sent someone after them. Every time they came to a choice between two different corridors, Kiku would make a random decision. But every single hallway looked the same! There were doors throughout their path, but since they were still in Area B, those doors were meaningless to him.

Gilbert had noticed that the halls were vacant. They still hadn't come across a single guard or scientist, which was strange for such a big laboratory. Was this all part of Eden's plan? She must've anticipated their arrival and had all the entrances watched or something. Perhaps she had the laboratory evacuated ahead of time.

Or perhaps she didn't.

The three skidded to a halt when they rounded a turn, only to find some waiting for them down the hall. In their way stood a young woman with long, platinum blonde hair adorned with a large black bow that sat on top of her head. She wore a tight, black leather suit that complimented her curves and her dark blue eyes had a dangerous gleam to them.

"There you are, Honda. We've been waiting for you," she said as her lips curved into a mischievous smile.

"You're a River, aren't you?" Kiku growled back.

"Yes, I am the River Euphrates. Now, have you come to turn yourself in? I see you've brought the suitcase," she purred.

"Not a chance!" Gilbert barked, answering for him, "Now why don't you step aside? It'd be a shame to have to hurt such a lovely thing." As he spoke, he drew his pistol and trained it on her forehead as Elizaveta did the same.

Euphrates shifted her gaze on the albino, as if just noticing him for the first time. "Was I talking to you?" she glowered, irked. Then her eyes narrowed in recognition. "Oh, Gilbert, dear, is that you?"

"W-what? How do you know my name?" he stammered.

"You don't recognize me?" she snickered. Then she pulled back her hair as if putting it into a ponytail and cleared her throat, "_Your next assignment will be this little upstart from New York. Everything you need to know is in the envelop."_ Her voice was a few octaves high as she spoke. Gilbert inhaled sharply.

"You're the one who gave me the assignment to capture Kiku! You little bitch. Crimes against humanity, huh? Well I could charge you with the same thing!"

Euphrates just laughed as she let her hair down again and retained her normal voice. "But you've done your job, haven't you? You've brought Honda right to me!"

"I wouldn't celebrate just yet if I were you!" Elizaveta shouted angrily, "If you want Kiku, then you'll have to get through us!"

"Enlisted bodyguards, have we, Honda?" Euphrates jeered, returning her gaze to the Japanese man. But then she looked back at Gilbert thoughtfully. "Bounty hunter, I hired you to capture Honda. If you complete your job now, I can offer you much more than money or gold. How does immortality sound?"

"Don't listen to her, Gil," Elizaveta warned. "She's lying, you know they won't give it you."

"Why don't you stay out of it?" Euphrates snapped at her. She flexed her wrist and a throwing knife came out of her sleeve. "I'll silence you if I have to."

"Don't you dare threaten Lizzie!" Gilbert shouted back. And then, in his rage, he pulled the trigger.

But Euphrates was faster. She narrowly dodged the bullet, and then advanced with prodigious speed down the corridor. Elizaveta and Gilbert fire shot after shot, but she deflected them with her knives, using her superhuman reflexes. One of the bullets ricocheted off her knife and came back at Gilbert, catching his arm, causing him to falter for a moment.

"And now I've got you!" Euphrates sneered, throwing one of her knives.

"Gil!" Elizaveta shouted, and then she shoved the albino out of the way. Unfortunately, this put her in harm's way as the knife lodged itself deep into her shoulder.

"Lizzie!" Gilbert shouted, catching her as her knees gave way. Kiku gritted his teeth and was forced to put down his suitcase to defend them. He met the River in close combat, ducking as she swiped her knife for his face. Kiku was fast enough to evade the more critical strikes, but her knife sliced through his cloths and slashed his skin.

Meanwhile, Gilbert had removed the knife from Elizaveta's shoulder, but this meant she would lose more blood. He pressed his hand down on the wound, and she gave a little cry at the pain. The knife had gone deeper than he thought.

"Get her out of here!" Kiku yelled at the albino. "I'll hold her off. Take the suitcase with you, you'll need it."

"Are you sure?" Gilbert said tentatively, gathering Elizaveta in his arms and taking the metal suitcase.

"Hai. Just go!" he said as he sidestepped another stab. Gilbert nodded and took off in the direction they had come.

"Aw, how noble of you," Euphrates smirked, "But it's not like they can escape. All the exits are sealed."

Kiku didn't answer, but instead attempted to kick her in the temple. She nimbly ducked and then surged forward with a counterattack, punching him square in the chest. As he was thrown off balance, she used her speed and appeared behind him. Then she struck him on the back of his head, knocking him out cold.

Slinging Kiku over her shoulder, she glanced back in the direction Gilbert had run. "I'll get him later," she muttered to herself. Then she put her hand to her ear to activate her earpiece. "I've got Honda," she reported, "Where do you want him again?"

* * *

"I think we're here, this is Area B," Laura said triumphantly, but then her tone dropped again. "Now we have to find the right testing room. Even Area B is huge."

"Then we'd better start checking the rooms," Maria said, turning the knob to the first door on her right. They began to search the room, Maria flipping through the notes left on the counters, while Laura went through the cabinets and shelves. Laura was about to suggest moving on the next room when a small box on the very top of the back shelf caught her eye. Standing on her tip-toes, she retrieved the box and opened it. She frowned, her insides growing a little queasy, then shut the box again and turned to Maria.

"Here," she said, giving the tiny box to her. It was slightly smaller than her palm and only an inch high.

"What's this?" Maria asked, about to open it, but Laura pressed down on the top, preventing her from doing so.

"Just keep it with you. Promise me you won't use it until the last moment, okay?" Laura's voice was serious, even a little grim.

"O-okay, but when will the last moment be?" Maria asked, sensing the gravity in her tone.

"Trust me, you'll know," she answered vaguely. "Let's go to the next room."

* * *

"I can't believe you left him!" Elizaveta huffed, trying to forget about the pain in her shoulder.

"You're bleeding all over yourself," Gilbert retorted, still running, "I had to. It's my fault you're here anyway."

"No, it's my own fault. I chose to come, didn't I?"

Gilbert slowed his pace, having put a number of random turns between himself and the girl River. He came to a stop, then gently set her on the floor and knelt beside her. She tried to sit up, but he protested, "Don't hurt yourself even more! That would was deep, you're losing a lot of blood. Lay flat." In grumpy acquiescence, she obeyed.

The albino put the suitcase in his lap, examining it. "He said we'd need this, but he didn't give me the combination!" he frowned.

"Try 5-2-5-2," she suggested. Gilbert gave her a funny look, but tried it anyway. To his surprise, it clicked open.

"How did you know?"

"That was Kiku's locker combination during high school. He used it for everything," she giggled.

Inside were numerous folders containing security codes, like Kiku had said, Alfred's USB drive, and a small box about the size of Gilbert's palm. "What this?" he wondered as he opened the top. A small corked vial holding a bright red liquid lay on a miniscule cushion within the box. "This is…no way…" He held up the vial and showed it to Elizaveta.

"Is that…the Antidote?" she whispered.

"Yeah, I think so. Do you want to give it a try?" he asked curiously.

"What? For my shoulder? I don't know…"

"It's supposed to heal anything. And with the amount of blood that you're losing, you're going to need it," he urged. She hesitated, but then sat up slowly and took the vial in her hand. After staring at it for a moment, she uncapped it and brought it to her lips. For a moment, nothing happened after she drank its contents, but then she began to feel invigorated, as if she was having a sugar rush. Then her wound started to close itself, until it was nothing but a scar. And a few seconds later, even the scar had disappeared, as if it had never been there.

"Holy shit," Gilbert whispered. "Even I have to admit that that's awesome!"

"I know! I feel…refreshed! Like I could run a marathon or something," she smiled, testing out her shoulder by rotating her arm. "So what now? We rescue Kiku?"

"I don't think that's what he wanted us to do," Gilbert frowned again. "He told us to take the suitcase, so I think he'd want us to finish what he started. We need to find Area A and wipe the database."

"Alright, let's do it quickly, so afterwards we can rescue him."

* * *

Maria and Laura had searched through ten different rooms without any progress. At this rate, it would take them forever, Maria thought. Laura had just opened the door to the eleventh room and stepped in, and she was about to enter as well, when she heard footsteps coming from around the corner. They were so close, Maria could only think of one thing. She shoved Laura inside all the way and then shut the door quickly, still standing in the hallway. With her back against the door, she looked towards the footsteps.

A man with dark hair and black eyes walked around the corner, a wicked smile across his face. He stopped short when he saw Maria, and then laughed sinisterly. "There you are, girl. I've been looking for you. How did you manage to get out of your cell? I guess it doesn't matter. Anyway, Eden wants to meet you now, so it's time to go."

"And what makes you think I'll go with you?" she growled back. From the other side of the door, inside the room, Laura pressed her ear against wall, listening carefully. She had recognized Pison's voice right away. She wanted to go out there and help Maria, but the other girl's back was against the door, indicating that she did not want her help.

"Look, don't make this harder for yourself," Pison chuckled. "Just do as your told and come here. Resisting won't do you any good." But, of course, Maria didn't listen. Turning on her heels, she sprinted down the hallway, trying to get away from him, and also trying to lead him away from Laura. Pison just sighed and then loped after her.

Even though Maria tried as hard as she possibly could, she knew for a fact it was impossible to outrun a River. Not even two minutes later had Pison caught up and tripped her. She tumbled to the floor, but recovered quickly to her feet again, taking a fighting stance. At least now they were away from Laura.

As Pison drew closer, Maria swiftly thrust her foot into his stomach. But when her opponent didn't even budge, she jumped back out of his range of close combat. "Feisty little one, aren't you?" he jeered, "I guess Honda does have a little taste in girls. Who knew?" Then he rushed towards her almost in the blink of an eye, and before she knew it, he had his hands around her neck. Gripping her tightly, he shoved her back against the wall, strangling her. She tried with all her might to pry his hands off, but it was futile. Her eyes widened with fear as she tried desperately to gasp for breathe. But her arms slacken and she lost consciousness. Only then did Pison drop her to the floor.

"Finally. Time to go to Eden and have some fun for once," he said, chuckling to himself as he tucked her limp body under his arm and began to walk back down the hall.

* * *

From the Author: Sorry for the short chapter :/ I know it was all over the place, but I promise, cross my heart, that the next chapter is going to be ten times better! That said, please tell me what you think! Is it tacky to ask for reviews? I hope I never sound desperate at the least...if it is tacky, then I guess I'm guilty! :P

BTW, when I read other people's fanfic, I like to picture it like TV in my head :P Anybody else? I think its more entertaining that way. I wish I could attach epic music along with this story that would play at all the actiony parts haha, but that would be really hard to do ;)

Anywhoo, Destructive Desires has gotten 50 freaking reviews! Holy crap that's almost as awesome as Prussia~ That's a HUGE milestone and I have you guys to thank for it!

**hetaliaforever123: **Yay, the TV show thing! I totally do that too, like I said before :D And yes, Arthur will come in a lot more in later chapters! Thanks!

**itgirl18: **I don't want to give anything away, but I can assure you that Eden will be making her debut pretty soon... ;) Thank you very much!

**chibibeanie: **He was an arse wasn't he? I'll keep your request in mind ;)

**NinjaRoll: **No, her ex isn't any of the hetalia characters, but that's because I couldn't picture any of them being so cruel. I love them all too much :P And thanks a bunch!

50 reviews! I still can't get over that... :D I swear your patience for a dramatic chapter will be rewarded! See you next chapter!


	12. Chapter 12: Acid Death

Disclaimer: Hetalia. Not. Mine.

Note: Okay! Next chapter finally! Okay, so this one...I'm not sure what to say, but I like it :D So I hope you guys do to! I think it was one of my better chaps, but you guys will be the judge of that! Enjoy!

* * *

**Four Years Ago (Maria: Age 16)**

Maria hesitated before knocking on the door to the small yellow house with its faded paint job. She hadn't talked to anyone in the Ong family since Mai's funeral, and that was over a year ago. After what happened that night, she couldn't bring herself to talk to them, afraid they would blame her for their daughter's death. Of course, Mai's parents showed her nothing but sympathy at the funeral, but Maria wondered if they secretly hated her. But most of all, she feared facing Anh. What would she say to her? Would she be bitter and hostile? Maria didn't know; she had avoided the Vietnamese girl all this time.

Holding her breath, Maria forced herself to knock. She owed it to Anh to talk to her in person. It was the least she could do for taking away her sister. A few minutes later, the older girl opened the door, a bit surprised to see who was visiting.

"Maria," Anh blinked, "Hey. Come in." Maria smiled and did her best to seem pleasant, rather than dreadful like she really felt. Anh could tell something was on her mind, of course, since they hadn't really seen each other in such a long time. "Why don't we go out on the deck, like old times?"

"Alright," Maria nodded, a bit relieved. It was easier to talk out there in the fresh air. The two girl went out the back of the house and sat down on the wooden deck, the evening breeze feeling cool on their skin in the warm day.

"It's been a while since we've been out here," Anh said wistfully.

"And it still doesn't feel the same..." Maria murmured. "And it won't ever. Anh, I understand if you're mad at me."

Anh tilted her head to the side. "Mad? I was never mad at you."

"You-you should know that she died because of-" she began to explain, voice cracking again, but she was cut off.

"You don't need to tell me. I know that Mai died as herself, and that's all I need to know," Anh interrupted curtly.

"She died protecting me..." Maria whispered with teary eyes.

"Then she truly did die as herself," Anh said again, "But she's not gone. She's still here. Watching over us as herself." She looked up at the slightly pink sky.

"Anh..."

"And I know she'd want you to move on."

"I know," Maria replied softly. "That's why...I'm leaving this place as soon as I'm old enough to."

Anh looked at her questioningly, but said nothing.

"I'm going to start my own life, away from the estate. Live off my own earnings. I think that would help me move past this," Maria continued. "I haven't told anyone yet, and I wasn't planning to, but I couldn't keep it to myself any longer. And I knew I had to talk to you sometime soon."

There was a pause, before the other girl answered, "I think that's a great idea. Mai would agree as well. You know, you're changed so much from the little girl who offered to get me a maid."

Maria giggled, feeling much better now. "That was right here on this deck, huh? Wow, so much has changed since then. I owe you one for that, you know? You really knocked some sense into me that day."

"Actually, now that I think about it, it was probably rude of me to chew you out like that," Anh laughed softly, "But you're welcome anyway." Just then, Maria pulled her into a tight embrace, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Thanks, Anh," she whispered again, "You've helped me make up my mind. I think I will go, maybe to a big city. I've always loved the city."

Anh hugged back, "Go for it. Just don't waste the life Mai died protecting."

"I promise I won't."

* * *

**Present**

When Maria came to, her arms and legs were dangling in the air, and her torso was tucked under the River's arm. She looked up slowly, and her eyes widened. Before her stood four other people, two young women, and two young men, one of whom she recognized to be Hiddekel. They stood in the hall, in front of another door, discussing quietly, until they noticed Maria move, and they stopped.

"Well, what do you know, she's finally awake," the man that was not Hiddekel smirked.

"Good, because I was afraid I over did it with the strangling," the man who was holding her, Pison, laughed heartily.

"You can set her down now, Pison," one of the women said, "She won't be running away anymore, I think. She knows she can't outrun us." Pison obeyed, and set Maria down on her feet, and she glared at the woman, who was tall with brown, wavy locks, and inquisitive blue eyes.

"Are you Eden, then?" she seethed.

"Yes, that would be me. I am the sole owner of Teramist. And these are my Rivers. You've already met Hiddekel and Pison. This is Euphrates," she pointed to the other woman, "And this is Gihon," she said as she gestured to the man beside Hiddekel, who had dark hair and skin with brown eyes. "I take it Mr. Honda told you a little about us?" She spoke lightly, with and elegant tone of voice and a very professional manner. Her posture reminded Maria of a politician, giving the impression that she was very proper and intellectual.

"He's told me that you're all monsters, killing people so that you can live longer," Maria growled angrily.

"Monsters? That would be a matter of opinion, don't you think?" Eden asked coolly, "But as scientists, we only care about solid facts. Yes, I do use human blood to create my Antidote, but by doing so I have become the greater being. My Rivers and I, we aren't mere humans anymore. I think of it as evolution. We have adapted to prey on humans. Does that make us evil? Is a lion considered evil when it kills an antelope to survive?"

"That's different!" Maria insisted. "What you're doing...you're taking away lives unnecessarily. It isn't science! It's a basic principle that everything that lives must eventually die. But you're still alive. It's unnatural!"

"Principles change. It was once thought that the earth was the center of the universe, but we know it's not. This is the future of science," Eden repudiated, gesturing to herself and the Rivers.

"You don't have a right to take these people's lives to feed your own," Maria glowered, "Science or not."

"You are a fool, just like your beloved Honda. Whether or not you believe I have a 'right' to do this, you cannot stop me. I was making the Antidote long before you were even born. I have created the true superior race, and there's nothing a silly little girl like you can do about it. Your precious Honda tried, but he failed; it was inevitable."

Something inside Maria snapped. Enraged, she lashed out at Eden, attempting to strike her across the face. But the River called Gihon appeared before his master, parrying her attack and grabbing her wrist. Twisting her arm, he moved behind her, wrapping his free arm around her neck.

"That's enough talking," Eden said, as if she were bored, "Time to have some fun." Her lips curled into a smile, quite like the Cheshire Cat. She moved to the door, opened it, and gestured for Gihon to step inside with Maria still in his grasp. When they entered, Maria inhaled sharply in alarm.

Kiku stood before them in the middle of the small, empty chamber, his eyes widening when he saw them. "M-Maria!" he stammered. He started forward, but Eden came in, holding a gun to Maria's head.

"Uh uh," she waved her finger, "One wrong move could cost her dearly." Kiku stopped and glared at her, his jaw clenched.

"Let her go. You have me now, you don't need her anymore," he said in a low voice.

"Ah, but I do need her," Eden grinned menacingly, "I need her to carry out my wonderful revenge."

"Please just spare her!" Kiku pleaded, growing desperate as Gihon tightened his clutch around her neck. "I-I'll do anything!"

"Kiku, dont-" Maria tried, but Gihon stopped her.

"Well, Honda, you're about to regret ever trifling with Teramist," Eden continued eerily, "It won't be a quick revenge, I assure you. I'll make sure you'll have enough time to think about what you've done. Time to test the limits of your sanity." She gestured for Pison to enter the room, and he did, in his hand a syringe containing a glowing red liquid.

"The Antidote?" Kiku asked, befuddled.

"Not quite," Eden chuckled. "It looks like it, doesn't it? No, this is a project that was never introduced to you. I call it Acid Death. It's virtually the opposite of the Antidote. Once consumed, it stops as nothing to eat away at the insides of its victim, a painful, slow burning of the internal organs. One of the most excruciating processes one can experience."

"Monster!" Kiku shouted, but the gun kept him at bay. "That's barbaric!"

"You think so? I like to think of it as one of my greatest achievements, you know, after the Antidote," Eden speculated casually. Then she turned to Pison. "Alright, do it."

Pison grinned, his eyes glinting evilly. Roughly he took Maria's arm, forcing it straight.

Kiku, realizing what was about to happen, cried out, terrified, "No! Maria!" He lunged forward to stop him, but Eden got in his way, throwing him back.

The needle of the syringe pierced her skin, and Pison injected the red fluid into Maria's blood stream. When he withdrew the needle, she felt nothing, but Gihon shoved her to the floor. Then he and Pison backed out of the room, followed by Eden. But before she left, dropped her gun to the floor and kicked it to Kiku's feet. "Remember, you brought this on yourself. Only you can end her suffering, if you are strong enough to do it." The door slammed shut.

"Maria!" Kiku knelt beside her, fear evident in his voice.

Suddenly, the effects of Acid Death began to kick in. Pain erupted throughout her whole body as she convulsed violently. Her eyes grew chillingly wide and she let out a stifled scream.

"Maria! No!" he cried, but he didn't know what to do. He could only watch her torment in horror.

* * *

Outside the room, Eden smiled to herself. There was a small window in the door, just big enough so that one could peer inside and see what was happening. After she heard the girl scream, she tore her gaze away from the room and rubbed her hands together.

"That went well," she said to the Rivers, "But there are still others trespassing my laboratory. Pison, Gihon, find them and dispose of them right away."

"Aw, I don't get to watch your revenge?" complained Pison, disappointed.

"You can create your own entertainment. As long as the other intruders are out of the way, I do not care how you end them," Eden said simply. Apparently, Pison and Gihon liked this idea and darted away to follow their orders.

"Okay, Hiddekel, Euphrates, watch them," she pointed to the door.

"Wait, you're not staying to watch?" Euphrates frowned.

"No. According to the security camera, Ivan Braginski is here. I have a more...personal vendetta to settle with him," Eden smirked. Euphrates nodded, knowing she prized that revenge even more than this one. With that, Eden walked away, pleased with herself as she devised her next cunning reprisal, leaving the two Rivers to guard the door.

* * *

The searing pain was just too much for Maria. It felt as if her entire body was on fire as the acidic concoction scorched her insides. The agony, it was excruciating ,unbearable, like she had drunken fiery lava. Her heart pounded in her chest erratically as it seemed to be set ablaze. Her organs were being eaten away by the second, deteriorating slowly, causing her to cough blood on the floor. It was indeed one of the most painful experiences one could endure.

"M-make it stop, please, make it stop!" she cried frenziedly. The torment and pain swallowed her mind, doing away with her ability to think and see reason. All she wanted was for this torture to end. Logic was completely lost to her.

With tears streaking down his face, Kiku watched in absolute terror, trembling with fear, panic and languish causing his heart to twist inside his chest. This was all his fault, Maria was suffering because of a decision he made! This couldn't be happening! Her stifled screams rang in his ears, and each came with a renewed pang of incredible guilt that made him sick to his stomach. He couldn't stand to see her in such pain. She was dying right before his eyes, and there was nothing he could do to save her! His head began to throb in his hopeless hysteria.

She began to thrash about, shuddering violently, giving off heightened body heat. Kiku choked back a sob, utterly helpless. According to Eden, once the acid was consumed, nothing would stop it from destroying its victim, but Kiku racked his brain for any shreds of hope in vain. Then he saw the gun that lay beside him.

Slowly, he picked it up, distraught and seeing no other option. He hesitated for a fleeting moment, and then, with more tears streaming down his cheeks, he trained the gun on her head.

His finger hovered over the triggered.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he whispered shakily over and over again.

She was going to die anyway. This way, he would end her torture. It would be a quicker death. Painless. Over just like that. It was either this or the slow acidic death. His hand quivered, but the gun was aimed on her, point-blank.

...But he couldn't bring himself to do it. He still pointed the gun, but he couldn't bring himself to kill her.

This was too much for him. He was at the edge of his sanity, and if he did it, he would lose himself for sure. He dropped the gun and slammed his fist on the ground. "I'm sorry Maria," he uttered in grief, "I'm not strong enough to do it. And because of me you still suffer." He began to weep softly, and there were no words to describe how much he hated himself then.

Even in her agony, she was able to hear Kiku's words, and when she glanced to the side, she was the gun clatter to the floor. Suddenly she thought back to the night Mai was shot and killed, then her mind flashed to Anh, and that day they sat on the deck together. " _Just don't waste the life Mai died protecting_," she had said.

As the acid continued to ravage her body, she was able to process the meaning of what Anh had said, and she strung together a single, though complete, thought: _I promised her I wouldn't_. This gave her new strength, snapping her back to reality, beyond the pain. When she glanced up again, she saw Kiku, his face contorted in anguish, weeping. Kiku...

She didn't like to see him this way, broken and crushed. He needed her more now than ever. Then, she forced herself to ignore the internal burning torment enough to whisper, "Kiku...it's okay."

He looked up at her, stunned. "Maria..."

The pain threatened to overtake her again, but Maria didn't give up. She fought against it, trying to focus on Kiku's face instead. "I love you," she said softly, concentrating her hardest to reach up with her hand.

"I love you," Kiku whispered back, struggling to keep his voice steady. It sound all too much like a goodbye, but Maria knew she was dying. Her body still convulsed, the acid still doing its wretched work. She didn't want to leave him like this, but she tried not to think about death. Instead, she kept her eyes on Kiku's, knowing this would be the last time she would be able to gaze into them.

The last time...The last moment...

In that instant, Laura's words came back to her. This was it, this was the last moment! "My...my pocket," she croaked urgently.

"W-what?" Kiku stuttered. Then he realized she was talking about her jacket's pocket, and he quickly reached in and pulled out a small box, no bigger than the palm of his hand. When he removed the top, he saw, to his amazement, a slender, glass vial holding a radiant red liquid. Without a another moment's hesitation, he uncorked the vial and gently pulled Maria's head onto his lap. Gingerly, he opened her mouth and poured the liquid down her throat. He covered her mouth quickly, so she wouldn't cough it back up.

Forcing herself to swallow, she clenched her fists, for the pain was still there. But, a moment later, the sweltering agony began to ebb away. She exhaled in relief as her body began to rebuild itself, her organs rematerializing. Her heart beat returned to normal, as did her body temperature and muscle control. As the tension left her shoulders, Kiku, knowing the miracle was working, pulled her close and embraced her jubilantly.

"Maria...I thought I was going to lose you," he murmured. A single tear still rolled down his cheek, but he was overjoyed this time.

She pulled back to beam at him. "Can't get rid of Maria de la Cruz that easily!" Already she began to feel her energy restored and strength returning to her limbs. Elated, Kiku leaned in for a euphoric kiss, and Maria put her hands lightly on his cheeks, kissing back exultantly. Only when she could no longer breath did she break apart, the exhilarating sensation still tingling on her lips.

"Where did you get that?" Kiku asked in wonder, indicating the empty vial.

"Laura gave it to me. I didn't know what it was at the time, but now, I guess I really owe her one," she giggled, just happy to be alive.

"You found Laura?"

"Yeah, she was locked up with me and Lovino and Feliks, but then Lovino's friends came with their dog and freed us," she tried to explain, but even to her, the story sounded strange.

"Lovino's down here? That must've been Antonio then." He sat there, thinking, then looked back at Maria affectionately. It was as if he were still taking in the fact she was alive, her presence lifting his spirits immensely. He touched her cheek gently, and she intertwined her fingers with his other hand. Abruptly, his expression changed to shame as his thoughts darkened. "I'm sorry," he said in a low voice again, "I...I almost took your life..." His eyes flickered to the gun at his side then back into her eyes.

"You thought you were saving me from my torture," Maria pursed her lips.

"But you were so brave, so strong," he continued, touching his forehead to hers. "You didn't give up. You're incredible, you know that? I don't deserve you, not after all I've done."

"All you've done?" she echoed, "You don't give yourself enough credit for trying to fix things. I admire that about you, your resolve to set things right."

He gave her a sad smile, "I should have told you sooner. Maybe you would have been safer that way. I kept my whole life a secret from you."

Maria felt a wave of guilt. "You...weren't the only one."

"What do you mean?"

"I lied about my family...they don't live Oregon like I said they did. They actually live in Westchester, New York..." she murmured regretfully.

"Why would you lie about that?" Kiku inquired, confused.

"You see...my parents are actually really wealthy, they own a huge estate there, that's where I grew up. But I couldn't stand it there, I hated living off my parents' money," she said, deciding that she wasn't quite ready to talk to him about Mai's death. "So I moved away as soon as I was eighteen, to New York City, to start my own life and live off my own earnings. My ex-boyfriend, I met him there. To be completely honest, I think I was infatuated, and I thought he shared the same feelings for me, but I was naive. He only cared about my parents' wealth. So when I broke up with him, I told myself I wouldn't mention my family's affluence to anyone else. I didn't want people to 'like' me just for the inheritance."

"Maria... I don't care whether your family's rich or not. I'm not in love with them or the money, I only love you," he smiled kindly. At this, Maria threw her arms around him and hugged him passionately once more.

"And I love you too!"

* * *

Hiddekel watched the whole ordeal through the door's tiny window. Euphrates leaned against wall, listening indifferently. "The Acid Death has been eradicated," Hiddekel told her.

"I figured, since she's still talking and not screaming," Euphrates sighed, as if she were bored.

"What do we do now?" he asked, frowning.

"Our orders were to just guard the door. Eden can decided what to do with them later," she waved off distractedly.

He glanced back into the room where the two embraced each other compassionately. "Euphrates..." he began reluctantly, "Do you...do you ever have doubts about our orders? You know, killing people and such." He knew that expressing his qualm to her was a big risk; she could easily rat him out to Eden, who would punish him severely for disloyalty. But what Maria had said to him on the plane really had gotten under his skin. Internally torn between his gratitude for Eden and his own second thoughts, he needed to hear what another River had to say, and Euphrates was the only one he could actually talk to. Sure, the girl had had an unstable temper ever since Eden brought her in from Belarus decades ago, but she was definitely better company than say, Pison or Gihon.

She paused before answering, "You know just as well as I do that we owe Eden everything. She's the only one who's ever cared for us."

"I know. But...that didn't answer my question," Hiddekel narrowed his eyes.

"...Lately, I've found myself wanting more than this," Euphrates admitted. A secret for a secret, that's how these things worked, she knew. Hiddekel wouldn't dare give her away since he also confided in her. Besides, he was...different from the others.

"More, huh? I know what you mean. We've been living like this for decades," Hiddekel agreed. He peered back into the room, where their captives conversed softly to each other. "They seem like they love each other," he speculated wistfully, indicating inside the room.

"Love...we wouldn't know what that really is, now would we?" Euphrates spat bitterly, surprising Hiddekel with her tone of voice. "Eden says she 'cares' about us, but love is completely different, I'm sure of it."

"That's because she says love is an emotion that makes humankind a weak species," Hiddekel muttered, "It's not 'scientific,' she says. It does not make any progress with our work."

For a moment, she said nothing, but then Euphrates asked, "Don't you ever wonder what it feels like? Maybe it's not a weakness." She sincerely hoped that it wasn't, because she deeply hated displaying any weakness or flaw within herself. But she was genuinely curious about the strange emotion. Looking down at her knife, she could see the reflection of her own eyes in the blade. They weren't fierce like they usually were.

"Eden told me love is a weakness because it displaced logic in the human mind, that it drives people to do irrational things. But...that girl, Honda's girl. Love seemed to make her stronger. Even though it was the Antidote that cured her, she was fighting back the Acid Death before she drank it," he commented. "On the other hand, it almost made Honda lose his mind. Because he loved her, he couldn't end her suffering, making the emotion a fault. But now, they look, well, happy."

"Happy..." Euphrates echoed. Perhaps that's all she ever wanted to be. But here, working for Teramist, she didn't feel happy at all.

Suddenly, her earpiece crackled, and she stood up straight, erasing any yearning from her voice. At first, there was only static, but then Eden's voice spoke to her, "Euphrates. Pison and Gihon are tracking down the intruders and I am going to deal with Ivan. I need you to find the suitcase Honda had brought here. Leave Hiddekel as guard." Without waiting for her answer, the earpiece was silenced again. She sighed then turned to Hiddekel, "I'm going after the suitcase. You stay here."

"Alright," he said halfheartedly, still pondering their previous conversation. He watched as she darted away on her mission, and then pressed his back against the wall. But the longer he stayed there, thinking, the bigger his doubts grew.

* * *

From the Author: Wow. Okay, I hope that chapter was worth the longer wait than usual, but I had a lot of fun writing that one! I'm sadistic, yeah, you don't have to tell me. Anyways, I apologize immensely, but because school has just started for me, updates are going to be much, much slower. Mainly because I'm in wayy over my head and took too many hard classes. Yeah. Again, I'm truly sorry, but I also wish I had more time to work on this!

BTW, I've started another story called Mix and Match, but for that story I won't being doing the answer-backs to the reviews, sorry. It's for time-restricted reasons and school :/ I do not like school right now. At all, really. But I am taking a good English class to improve my writings!

Back to the story, what did you guys think? Love it? Needs improvement? Can my writings be as dramatic as I wish it could be? Don't know about that last one. But if you liked this chapter, please review! It's every much appreciated! :)

**hetaliaforever123:**Thanks! I owe my success to reviewers like you! :D

**chibibeanie: **No problem, and did this chapter maybe clear up that question? ;) If not, it will be revealed further later in the story. Thanks!

**NinjaRoll: **Thanks, you're too kind :) Please accept this chapter as a token of my gratitude!

**itgirl18: **Well, they met each other in this chapter...did you see that one coming ;) I appreciate the review, thanks a bunch!

**Juusan13: **I take it you liked the Natalya curve-ball? Thanks! One of my more brilliant ideas :P and I can be a total nerd too, so you're not alone! And now you know about Acid Death! Plot bunny waves thanks!

:D Have I ever told you guys that you're all awesome? 'Cause you are. Just sayin. See you next chapter!


	13. Chapter 13: Gihon's Game

Disclaimer: Guess what? Hetalia's still not mine!

Note: This chapter is a mixture of information and action! Just one of those intriguing chaps, if I do say so myself ;) Hope you have as much fun reading it as I had fun writing it! :) Enjoy!

* * *

Eden knew that she was probably the most brilliant scientist of the generation...and the generation before that and the one before that and so on and so forth. Even when she had first entered the research field during World War II she knew she had a bright head on her shoulders. But the problem was her genius went unrealized by German nation whom she served. The generals of the German army had no interest in her theories, being more concerned with death-inducing bombs rather than crazy ideas about a so-called cure-all. Soon other scientists ridiculed her idea of immortality through such potions, criticizing her for putting faith in such a far-fetched theory.

So when the German scientists cast her out, she decided she would only work for herself, by herself. Her family at the time was quite wealthy, having stolen most of their prosperity from the scapegoat Jews within the area. When her parent died (under VERY suspicious circumstances), Eden had inherited everything, and put it to her own use. But Germany was quickly being overrun by the Allies, and she knew it was not the optimal place to set up her facilities. And so she chose to travel to a nation that was not so involved with the Second Great War and traveled Spain.

There, she used her wealth and resources to set the foundations of her laboratory, and there she finally began her painstakingly tedious experiments. Her patience was rewarded, however, when she synthesized Radiptanium, almost by accident. After even more experimentation, she discovered how the new element reacted marvelously with components that were normally found in blood. At first, she tried animal blood, but to no avail. It wasn't until she acquired human blood from her first victim that she was able to come up with the finished product: the Antidote.

From that point on, her own strength and reflexes improved phenomenally, as did her cunning plans. With new confidence, she was able to manipulate those around her into doing her bidding, and after just a couple of decades, Teramist was founded across the globe. Occasionally, she would spot a youth among the millions of people who she saw potential in. If she deemed them worthy enough, Eden would offer her assistance. After rigorous analysis, should the person pass her tests, she gave them the ultimate honor: the title of a River of Eden. With their help, her 'company' ran smoothly, and if anyone got too close, or learned to much, the Rivers disposed of them, often taking their blood for another dose of the Antidote.

For many, many years, this is how she controlled her conspiracy, with little disturbances. But in the recent years, the way Teramist began to operate changed dramatically. She wasn't really sure what triggered these sudden changes, but she became more ambitious, more daring. But since she started taking more risks and enlisting more scientists, problems arose. The most significant one was Ivan Braginski's solo revolt in the Moscow branch. The Russian proved himself to be clever, but also willing to go to extreme measures, traits Eden valued very much. She didn't meet too many humans who were okay with the fact of victimizing others to achieve their own goals. Ivan had an ominous cruel aura about him, and Eden was fascinated by it, and eventually let him get closer to the secrets of Teramist. At one time, she even considered making another River, but little did she know Ivan had his own plans.

Eden was utterly shocked when she found out how the Moscow branch was devastated. Ivan had done a number on the laboratory itself in his fierce escape with a vial of the Antidote. Fury and wrath she had felt towards him, but deep down inside, she was embarrassed by the fact she had been outsmarted by a mere human! While she felt relieved to receive the news that the Russian had died in a car crash, she had a hunch that Teramist's problems weren't over.

Even still, she chose to take Teramist's progressive experimentation to a whole new level. She began to look into a concoction that would work with the opposite effects as the Antidote. But such a potion required much more tests, which in turn required more raw materials. What she needed was more human blood. Feeling invincible, she turned to fresh stock of human citizens within the Spanish nation. It delighted her to know how the Rivers had terrorized the city of Madrid. It was like nothing could stop her now.

But a second significant problem arose. That insolent fool Honda thought he could raze Teramist and bring her brilliant schemes to an end. First he sabotaged the New York branch, and then he thought he could just come to the main laboratory, her headquarters, take Teramist down, and walk away with his life? The foolish bastard. She promised herself she would make him pay dearly for his mistakes, and she had. Right now, he was falling into insanity watching his beloved suffer in intense agony. Eden smiled to herself, picturing the despair on his face, as she moved quickly through the corridors. She would have liked to see it in person, but her retribution on Ivan was much more precious to her. After what he did, he had the nerve to show up here again? He would regret it, she was going to make sure of it.

She glanced down at the thin, sleek, digitalized tablet in her hands. It was one of her more practical inventions, synced with the entire facility's security systems. Not only could she access the hidden cameras directly from the tablet, but she could also view a two-dimensional map of the entire facility, complete with dots that acted as markers throughout the screen. Each dot represented a life form, the heat detectors in the wall able to pick up their whereabouts and display them to her on the tablet. There were a few dots staying fairly stationary in Area A, but she knew those were her own scientists, since Area A was practically impenetrable. In Area D, however, there was one pair of dots moving around, as if lost, and another set of five dots wandering aimlessly, but Gihon was about to enter that sector, so she didn't worry about it much. In Area B there was a lone dot moving from room to room, and Eden raised an eyebrow, wondering who that could be. It didn't matter because she could see that Pison, who was marked with a red square since he was a River and the Radiptanium in his body altered his heat scan, was heading that way already. In another part of Area B, Euphrates was nearing two other dots who were moving towards Area A at a fast pace, but she was sure the River could handle it. She was more concerned with the large group of dots of about seven individuals about to cross over from Area B to C. There was a single dot that was larger than the others, his physique broader, and she knew that it had to be Ivan Braginski.

The group was almost too big, however. She frowned, not wanting the others to get in the way of her revenge. But as the group began to crossover to Area C, she had an idea and acted quickly, using the voice command. "Activate emergency security door between Areas B and C," she said clearly. A small message popped up in the corner of the screen. "Command accepted," it read, and Eden smirked. This was going to be fun. First, she just had to make a quick stop to a testing room in Area B, which was on the way.

* * *

"We are about to enter Area C," Ivan observed as they made their way through the narrow corridor. So far, ever since they split up from Kiku, Gilbert, and Elizaveta, their path had been uneventful. The Russian still headed the group, followed by Yao and Yong Soo, then Arthur, Francis, Alfred and Matthew. They carried on in silence, always on guard, though Alfred made a comment here and there about being a hero and saving all the captives to relieve the tension. Normally Yong Soo would have joined him, but he was too busy thinking about his cousin. For once, he put all his concentration into what he was doing, since he still blamed himself for being unable to protect her in the park. Not even Francis argued with Arthur; he was beginning to seriously worry about his little sister. He had guessed Laura had been involved with unlawful work, but he never imagined it was this severe. And now she was missing, and he couldn't help but fear the worse. Even though he didn't always show the more responsible side of himself, Francis really did care about her, like any decent brother would.

Abruptly, the floor began to rumble slightly, alarming everyone. A two-ton metal wall began to descend from the ceiling just above Arthur's head, but Alfred pulled him out of the way just in time. The barrier hit the ground hard, separating their group in half. Arthur looked from the obstruction to Alfred back to the obstruction, mouth hanging open.

"It-it almost crushed me!" he sputtered out in disbelief.

"Good thing the hero's always here to save the day," chuckled Alfred, but he too was surprised by such a close call.

Francis walked up to the barrier and tapped it. "There's no way we're getting this to budge...now what?"

"We're stuck," Matthew said nervously.

"Alfred? Are you guys alright?" Yong Soo asked, shouting from the other side of the barrier.

"Yeah we're fine, but what are we supposed to do now?" Alfred replied, calling loudly.

"Ivan, Yao and I are going to keep moving and find Laura and Maria, okay? Maybe you guys can find another way around," the Korean said, his voice a little muffled but the words were still audible.

"Okay, we'll try," Alfred said uncertainly.

"Oh! And Yao says be careful. Once we find them we'll come back and try to find you guys," he informed them. There wasn't really much else they could do.

"Alright," he answered tentatively. There was no response, and he assumed they had already left.

"So we just go back?" Matthew frowned.

"No," Arthur shook his head, and then held up his camera, "We're going to find the evidence we need to shut down this place."

* * *

"L-Ludwig, I'm scared," Feliciano pouted, staying close to his German best friend.

"It's okay, Feli, just...try to toughen up, okay?" Ludwig sighed, knowing he was asking for the impossible, "And after we get out of here you can have pasta. Just think about that instead."

"Pasta!" he beamed at the thought. Now that Feliciano was preoccupied, Ludwig could actually try to think up a plan or something. But the elevator had been sealed off, and it was likely that all other exits had been too. The only good thing was that there didn't seem to be any more guards around. They had been wandering without direction through the halls, trying to find another way out, but having no such luck. Unable to think of anything, Ludwig then realized that Toris and Feliks had been unusually quiet for the last few minutes, but when he turned around, the two were gone, along with their dog. Feliciano also stopped and looked back.

"Um, where's Toris, Feliks, and Ona?" the Italian asked worriedly.

"I thought they were still following us! Verdammt, how could those idiots get lost from us?" the blonde exclaimed angrily.

"Should we go back to look for them? I don't think they can hold out on their own..."

Ludwig took a deep breath and tried to contain his anger. "Alright," he said, starting to go back the way they came. The two backtracked for a few moments until they came to something like an intersection, with three other halls to chose from. "...Feli, I don't suppose you remember where we came from?"

"Um, maybe it was this one?" he pointed to his left. With nothing else to go on, the pair turned left and continued, but Ludwig had a feeling they had chose wrong.

* * *

"Lovi, I think we made a wrong turn somewhere," Antonio said meekly after opening the door to another vacant room.

"What the fuck! Where are the rest of the captives?" Lovino shouted, outraged by their lack of progress. Room after room was empty, and they had yet to find another kidnapped person.

"Maybe we left the area where they keep the prisoners by accident?" the Spaniard suggested. "Or...you don't think everyone else is...you know..." His voice was anxious and crestfallen, but Lovino shook his head.

"No, that can't be!" he protested. But it was more for himself that his boss. He couldn't let himself believe that there were no other survivors, because that would mean that they had failed them all. No, he could not allow himself to lose hope and give up now. "Maybe you're right, we must've gone the wrong way or something."

"I don't like this..." Antonio trailed off. "This place is so desolate. It's a huge laboratory but there's almost no one here. It's like they knew we were coming or something..."

Lovino stopped and thought about this for a moment. Maria's image came to his mind, and her words tugged on his memory, as if trying to tell him something important... "That's right," he said suddenly, recalling her story, "Maria was kidnapped selectively, and so Eden knew Kiku would be coming here to rescue her. The evil bitch was expecting him, and you just happened to come down here at the same time!"

"Damn it," Antonio cursed. "That alarm...I bet we're trapped down here then. They wouldn't want anyone to escape their wrath."

"The laboratory must have been evacuated beforehand, in preparation, since Eden wouldn't want anyone else to get in the way," the Italian continued. "That's why this place is empty."

"That's some good guess work," a voice called from down the corridor. "You guys wouldn't happen to be detectives would you?"

Antonio and Lovino whirled around to see a lone figure strolling towards them at a leisurely pace. "Who the hell are you?" Lovino growled.

"Ah, so you are the detective Pison told me about, the one with the foul mouth," the man chuckled. "If Pison was able to defeat you so easily, then you don't stand a chance against me. I'm Gihon, the most dangerous of all the Rivers."

"A River, huh?" Lovino called, but he tensed, remembering how strong and fast the two Rivers that ambushed him in the alley were. "Well, that bastard only beat me because that other bitch snuck up on me. It wasn't a fair fight."

"Fair fight?" echoed Gihon, chuckling to himself. "You can never have a fair fight when dealing with a River. We're not even human anymore. It would only take a few seconds for me to snap your neck."

"If you even try to hurt my partner, I'll kill you!" snarled Antonio, infuriated by Gihon's arrogant nerve.

But the threat only made him laugh even harder. "Kill me? I'd like to see you try. Even fighting together, the two of you wouldn't last a minute. But...you see, lately, I've been pretty bored. I always catch my prey so easily, and it isn't very entertaining. Today, Eden said I could have some fun with my prey, so I think I going to make this interesting." Gihon was the eldest of the four Rivers, and having been with Eden the longest, he had adopted her cruel sense of amusement.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" snapped Lovino, grinding his teeth.

"Okay, since you two are obviously very close, I'll make you something of a deal. I want to see which one of you will last the longest in a fight against yours truly," his lips curled into an impish grin. "Whoever dies first...well, obviously they die, but the other one gets to live. Do you follow? I think the rules are simple enough. I'll strike each of you evenly, so it's fair. It's like a test of strength and endurance for the both of you. If you know you're strong than your partner, than you have nothing to worry about."

"W-what?" Antonio stammered. The River had made it sound like he was competing against Lovino rather than fighting alongside him. Was Gihon that confident in his fighting ability to dictate such rules?

"If you think we're going to abide by your rules, then-" Lovino was cut off when Gihon darted towards them, rocketing so fast he was just a blur to their eyes.

And suddenly he was descending upon Lovino, his eyes wild with sadistic delight. "Let's begin," he cackled as the heel of his foot drove down into the Italian's shoulder. As Lovino fell to his hands and knees after the blow, Gihon appeared before Antonio, moving with so much speed it seemed as if he was teleporting. With just as much intensity and power, Gihon threw an uppercut punch into the Spaniard's jaw, the extra force sending Antonio stumbling backwards.

Just beginning to recover from his last hit, Lovino attempted to stand up, but then the River was back, round-house kicking him in the gut, causing Lovino to cough out blood. The Italian slammed into the corridor's wall and fell to the floor with a thud. Antonio regained his footing, but before he could do anything Gihon drove his fist into his stomach, and he too spit out blood. The sight of the red splatters on the white floor only excited Gihon, who was never allow to waste blood before. He laughed maniacally as he grabbed the Italian, who was still on the floor, by his hair and threw his knee into his midsection brutally. And then he was slamming his knuckles into the Spaniard's temple, laughter still on his lips.

And on it went, Gihon taking turns pummeling his victims mercilessly. Antonio and Lovino struggled to get back on their feet after each blow, but again and again Gihon would be on them, striking them even harder. The River never gave them a chance to draw their guns, much less defend themselves. Soon it had reached the point where Lovino could no longer stand. Too many of his ribs were broken, and welts and bruises were beginning to form all over his body, which ached and pained him. His body had taken too much abuse, and he was unable to even try to get up quickly. The River stood over him, snickering.

"You're done, already? Looks like you're about to lose, permanently!" Gihon brought his leg up, about to give his final blow as an axe kick. In the moment the River took to jeer at Lovino, Antonio used his last reserves of energy to put himself between his partner and their foe. The Spaniard caught the axe kick with his forearm, but the kick was too strong. There was a sickening crunch as the bone in Antonio's arm shattered upon impact.

Gihon's grin faded away, turning into a scornful glare. "How dare you interfere with the rules! But if you'd rather die first, then be my guest!" Then he grabbed Antonio by the forehead and hurled him into the ground viciously. He kicked him in the chest while he was still down, and then picked him up by the collar of the shirt and cocked his arm back, about to strike him in the face.

"Antonio!" Lovino cried out coarsely, barely able to support his torso with his hands pushing against the floor.

BANG!

Out of nowhere, the sound of a gunshot reverberated throughout the hallway, and the bullet whizzed by Gihon's ear.

"You missed!"

"I'm sorry! I've never used one of these before!" A few yards down the hallway was Feliciano and Ludwig, the former with his hands still outstretched and grasping the gun, trying to fix his aim.

Gihon, aggravated by new opponents, dropped Antonio to the floor and turned to face them. "Do you two wish to die as well?" he snarled.

"I won't let you hurt my friends any longer!" Feliciano called back, pulling the trigger once more. But this time Gihon was ready; he dodged the shot and then advanced on the younger Italian. However, Ludwig stepped in front of Feliciano and caught Gihon's punch with his hand and heaved him sideways into the wall, using his momentum against him. Feliciano took his chance and ran around them, heading over to Antonio and Lovino, both of whom were sprawled on the ground.

"Fratello! Toni!" he cried, unsure how to help them. They were both in terrible condition, purple and black patches of skin riddled throughout their bodies. Blood trickled down the corners of Antonio's mouth and Lovino's vision was blurry.

Meanwhile, Ludwig watched Gihon carefully, ready to fight. The River picked himself off the floor easily and dusted his clothes. "You're much stronger than the others," Gihon observed, amused. The blonde didn't respond, just stayed on his toes, but did not attack either. From the way he beat up Antonio and Lovino, Ludwig knew this was no ordinary adversary. He could not afford to go on the offensive and risk dropping his guard. Gihon lunged forward, unleashing a flurry of strikes, and Ludwig kept up a strong defense, enduring some of the blows and blocking others with his muscular arms. He was not sure how long he could keep this up, however, and he had to end this fight somehow; it was impossible for him to defend himself indefinitely, but if he attacked, Gihon would be sure to catch him with a critical hit. The River knew this as well, and waited patiently for a hole in Ludwig's guard to open up.

And his plan was a good one. Gihon managed to land a blow across the German's cheek, causing him to stagger, and the River began another wave of attacks, penetrating Ludwig's defensive position. A strike to his chest again pushed him off balance and Gihon used his leg to sweep the blonde's feet out from under him. Without giving him a chance to get up again, the River put his foot on Ludwig's torso and began to dig his heel into his chest. The German tried to pull him off with his own hands, but the River was too strong. Then he moved his foot above Ludwig's neck, pushing down lightly, but threatening to stomp down hard.

"You're tough, but not tough enough," derided Gihon sinisterly. He pushed his foot down a little harder, making Ludwig grunt in apprehension. "Do you know how easy it is to crush someone's throat? It's surprisingly easy. Why don't I show you?"

And then, with impeccable timing, another gunshot rang out, and Gihon's shoulder was flung back as the bullet pierced him. It had not gone through his heart, where Feliciano had intended to shoot, but it did get the River's attention. Gihon whipped his head around, glowering at the Italian odiously, but then another bullet ripped into his midsection, a much more lethal abrasion. His eyes widened, pure shock registered on his face, unable to comprehend the fact that he had been wounded. Blood began to soak his clothes, a sensation that had never happened to him before. And for the first time in a long time, he felt the stinging pain. He backed away from Ludwig, startled, and then turned and sprinted away, clutching his stomach.

Feliciano lowered the gun and exhaled with relief. "Ve, that was really scary!" Ludwig got to his feet, rubbing his neck thankfully.

"Feli, you idiot, why the hell are you still here?" Lovino croaked spitefully, "And you, potato bastard! I thought you were getting him out of here!"

Ludwig shook his head as he came over, "The elevator has been blocked. I think that all the exits are, too."

"Anyways, thanks for saving our lives," Antonio murmured, still weak from the beating. Ludwig hoisted him up and the Spaniard slung his arm around the blonde and leaned on him for support. Feliciano did the same for him brother.

"Good job with the gun back there," the German said to Feliciano. "Much better than the first time."

"Ve! I think I got the hang of it now, but I don't really like using it," he replied, optimistic as usual.

"Tomato bastard," Lovino mumbled, throwing a scolding look Antonio's way, "Don't take a hit for me ever again, you hear? You nearly scared me to death, damnit!"

Antonio just smiled, knowing that was Lovino's way of showing he cared. And he also knew that his partner would have the same for him. "What do we do now?" he asked instead. Their original plan was to help the other survivors escape, but they were in no condition to do that now, and even if they were, all the exits were closed off.

"I...I don't know," mutter the Italian older brother lamely.

"Why don't we just find a place to rest and hide?" suggested Feliciano. "That guy knows where we are right now, and he might come back with reinforcements or something..."

"He's right. Let's move away from here first, and then we can think up a new plan," nodded Ludwig.

"Alright," Lovino agreed grudgingly as he limped alongside his brother, "Let's go."

* * *

Hiddekel leaned his back against the hard, metal door imprisoning his captives. Conflicting thoughts float in his mind, making him miserable as he tried to decipher what's right and wrong. However, working out what he truly felt in his heart was much harder than he imagined. All these years, he had served by Eden's side, just thankful to have a place to belong, gracious for something like a family. No one had ever given him the slightest thought when he lived on the streets in Thailand, but Eden and the Rivers had given him a sense of purpose and identity. Not only had they saved his life, but they had given him a reason to live.

But was that reason even legitimate anymore? Helping Eden create the Antidote and repay her for her kindness was his reason, all because Eden was the only one who ever cared for him. But was that even real? Or just a fabled lie? Did Eden really care for him at all? In the plane, Maria had told him that Eden was just using him, like she did everyone else. But that couldn't be true! Eden really did care about him, she had to. Because if she didn't, that meant that Hiddekel was truly alone. It meant that all his life, even after he had become a River, no one had ever cared for him. And once more, his heart began to ache at the cold loneliness, as it did decades ago.

He thought back to what Euphrates had told him. She wanted more, she wanted happiness. She wanted to love. Was that what he wanted? Would that fill the void inside of him? But love was a weakness, that's what he had been told since he entered Teramist. But was that a lie too? No...this was all he'd ever known, and if it was a lie, then he had wasted so many years of his life. Wasted life he took from others. Had he lived for nothing?

No. He refused to believe that it was all for nothing. Perhaps Eden was right. He didn't need some irrational emotion to feel whole again. He just needed a place to belong, and Eden could supply him with that. Hiddekel straightened up, and listened to the two captives converse inside the chamber. Love had landed them in their imprisonment, so that proved that the emotion was a weakness, right?

"So now that I'm still alive," Maria said matter-of-factly from within the room, "What's our next plan of action?"

"...we're trapped. We can't get past the Rivers on our own. But we're can't give up either. As soon as Eden finds out you're alive, she'll have us both killed for sure," Kiku answered grimly.

"And we're back to square one," she sighed, "The room's escape proof, like the other one. I don't supposed we can count on our friends to get us out of this one."

"Speaking of them, I hope they're alright..." He trailed off earnestly. "If Eden's captured them, I'm afraid they don't have much time."

"Then we have to get out of here to make sure they're okay!" Maria declared zealously. This puzzled Hiddekel; why did they care about the welfare of their friends? Shouldn't they be more worried about their own lives instead? It didn't make any sense.

"Why don't you just give up?" he muttered. He spoke without thinking, and realized too late he had talked too loud. Maria and Kiku stopped talking abruptly, startled by Hiddekel's unexpected interlude from just outside the room.

"Give up?" Maria echoed brusquely, "And forfeit our lives? And the lives of our friends? Never!"

"While we still live, there's still hope," Kiku concurred seriously.

"Why do you even bother? You know you can't escape, so why waste your effort?" Hiddekel retorted acrimoniously.

"It's not a waste of effort," protested Maria. "We have a reason to keep living, and that gives us the will and strength to keep going."

"Hai. Our friends are counting on us. We won't let them down, nor disgrace them by giving up."

"Friends? What good are those?" The River's voice was full of rancor and spite.

"What's a life without any friends?" Maria asked, her tone softened and gentle. "A life without any special bonds isn't a life worth living, really."

"Worth...living..." Hiddekel repeated, mulling her words over. Was a life as a River of Eden worth living? "What makes a life worth living?"

Maria thought about this a moment, then answered sincerely, "It's strange, you know, I've never really thought about that question. My gut reaction would be to say that my loved ones make my life worth living. But now that I really think about it, even loved ones are external to me, because it's MY life. My real answer would be that it's what I do with my life that makes it worth living. By following my beliefs, I live and grow with my loved ones, and I forge those bonds along with them. I take the reins, I take my life into my own hands."

"My own hands," Hiddekel pondered. And all of a sudden it clicked inside his head. His nebulous thoughts became clearer again, and it all began to make sense. Could he truly be in charge of his own life? Perhaps...perhaps he didn't have to rely on Eden or the other Rivers anymore. If he wanted more than this, could he just take the reins and think for himself? If it was truthfully his choices and actions that dictated whether his life was worth living, what would he have to do to make it so?

Maria seemed to be able to read his thoughts, because she said, "And you can start by doing the right thing. What you believe is the right thing." The funny thing was, she didn't ask for the River to set her and Kiku free. She only wanted him to do what he deemed ethical.

"You think that I still know what's right and wrong after working for Teramist this long?" Hiddekel's mood had lightened incredibly, Maria's words finally giving him a new perception of his existence and decision. He smiled now, at the girl's naive, trusting nature.

"Actually, I think you do," she replied confidently. "Remember when you told me remorse was a weakness on the plane? Let me tell you that it's quite the opposite. Our conscience stops us from making the wrong decisions. You'd be surprised how satisfying it feels to know what you've done helped people. It's fulfilling to know you had the strength to chose to right choice rather than the easy one."

She spoke with such passion that it hard not to believe her. In fact, Hiddekel wanted to believe her. What she was really offering him with her words was a way out of this psychosis that Eden had imposed upon him. The chance to be free, that's what she was offering. The first step was freeing his heart from the burdens of remorse and guilt that came from working for Eden these many years. And that step required doing the right thing, didn't it?

Taking the biggest leap of faith of his whole life, Hiddekel unlocked the door and stepped aside. But now he was no longer afraid of the consequences, of Eden's retaliation. And what he could not get over was how light his chest felt as he did it. He was finally free.

Kiku was wary as he came out, but Maria just beamed authentically at the River. Hiddekel cocked his head to the side in curiosity, "You knew that I could do it even when I didn't."

"I hoped," she laughed good-naturedly. "But I was right. I knew you still had a bit of humanity left in you."

"Hai, thank you," Kiku nodded. "Not even the darkest of evils can completely corrupt a good heart."

"So what will you do now?" inquired Maria.

"I think..." Hiddekel began slowly, "That I'll try for redemption. I'll go to Area D and try to help those who're in here because of me. It's the least I can do."

Maria didn't argue, and just nodded encouragingly. "Then we'll see you on the outside, after all this is over, I hope." The River nodded, and began to head the other way, towards Area D, but she called, "Hey, wait!" He stopped and looked back. "Hiddekel's the name Eden gave you right? What was your real name?"

The River, or now former River, smiled, recalled the name he hadn't used in decades. He had almost forgotten it, but luckily he was able summon it from the depths of his mind. "Jaidee Charoenkul. But you can just call me Jai." He grinned as the last thing that tied him to Eden was done away with, and he picked up his pace and disappeared around the corner.

Maria couldn't help but smile genially as well. "Good luck, Jai."

* * *

From the Author: Human name for Thailand: Jaidee Charoenkul. :D

Finally got to write Jai as his full potential character! I'm going to love writing his future parts :) And I have to say, I kind of enjoyed writing that part with Gihon and the fight...is that weird? Probably.

So what did you guys think about this chapter? I'd love to hear everything that you guys have to say! Reactions, predictions, anything! I hope you all also know by now how much I sincerely appreciated every word of your reviews, and I also thank those who have read up to this point in my fanfiction!

**Juusan13: **I appreciate the honesty! And now you know a little more about Eden too! Thanks~

**itgirl18: **I made sure Ludwig and Feli were in this one :) I was kind of missing them too haha, and thanks a bunch!

**NinjaRoll: **Well, Hiddekel is a good guy now (it was predictable anyway so why not sooner than later? ;) ) And Yay! I was hoping to get those kinds of reactions from last chap!

**Tsuruya-san88**: I fully express my gratitude!

**chibibeanie: **Okay, I will keep that in mind :)

**Maximilliminute:** Really? :D Thanks, you're too kind!

Wow, this story has almost caught up to Double Vision in terms of reviews! That makes me so happy I want to tear up! :') You guys are just too awesome! Until next chapter!


	14. Chapter 14: A Kiss of Death

Disclaimer: Hetalia belongs to someone who is not me.

Note: Okay...I have to say I really enjoyed typing up this chapter, and so I really hope you guys enjoy reading it!

* * *

The trio was making their way across Area C at a steady yet fast pace, Ivan chillingly calm, Yao cautious, and Yong Soo headstrong. Hall after hall they walked, unopposed though never letting their guards down. However, they did notice how much wider the halls of Area C were compared to those of Area B. The Russian's mind began to think back to the time he had deceived Teramist in the Moscow branch, how he had stolen the vial of the Antidote and forced his way out of the laboratory. Even in that branch, the halls were virtually unguarded, and Ivan supposed that was because Eden was so supercilious and pompous. After running Teramist for so long, she had found it easy to manipulate others and put them under her thumb, but she had seriously underestimated Ivan by thinking she could control him too. He smirked to himself, wishing he could have seen her face when she found out about his infidelity. After that, he thought Eden would have at least learned her lesson and enlisted more protection for her laboratories, but when Ivan had faked his death, Eden had relaxed again and went back to her usual procedures instead.

He wondered that if he had stayed under his cover even longer would Eden have turned him into a River as well? Eventually she might have. Ivan had gotten extremely close to her as he pretended to be her loyal scientist. But Ivan could not have waited any longer. His sister Katyusha was fatally ill and had needed the Antidote right away. And so Ivan took it for her to return her to good health, saving her life from what would have been certain death by an incurable disease. He remembered the joy he felt when his sister was able to stand up once again embrace him in her loving arms, but then came their exodus. After meticulous, painstaking planning, Ivan was able to convince the world that he was dead and take on a new name. The two had fled to London immediately following, and gradually they rebuilt their lives together. In fact, they probably would have lived the rest of their lives as ordinary people, blending in with the crowd, that is, until Kiku and Maria showed up at their door.

Katyusha had always felt a bit guilty for drinking the Antidote that saved her life. She felt as if she had stolen someone else's life, but Ivan tried to convince that since that person had already been killed, there was nothing she or he could do about it. For a while, that seemed to work, but when Kiku told them what he had done in New York, Katyusha viewed it as a spark of hope. She absolutely despised Teramist, and several times did she attempt to persuade Ivan to quit, but her brother would not just let her die. Katyusha had even wanted to join Ivan on this trip to Spain, but he wouldn't let her endanger herself like that.

Thinking of his sister, his hand wandered absentmindedly to the pale gray scarf that was loosely around his neck and fell down past his long, heavy tan coat. As he fingered the comfy fabric, Yong Soo regarded him carefully. "Why are you wearing a scarf this time of year?" the Korean asked tentatively.

"Hmm? This?" Ivan said distractedly, "My sister made this for me after we moved to London as a thank you gift."

"It must be very important to you," Yao observed, judging by the nostalgic look on his face.

"Da, it is. I hardly ever take it off. It makes me feel...warmer inside as well as out, if that makes sense," he replied quietly. Whenever he wore the scarf, it reassured him that he was not truly alone, that he had his sister if no one else. For some reason, other people seemed to be repelled by his presence, but he could not fathom why. But with Katyusha's scarf he felt her kindhearted charisma keeping him together. As long as he had that, he didn't need to rely on anything else.

However, Yao surprised him when he said, " Actually, it does make sense. I always have a picture of Li Xiao and MeiMei for when I find myself missing them, aru."

Yong Soo just stared at Yao for a moment. "Wow, you are such a sappy parent, da ze."

"Hey!" Yao said defensively, "You'll understand when you get older, trust me."

"Of course I will," Yong Soo said sarcastically. He was silent for a moment before adding, "Anyways...I really have to go to the bathroom. Like, REALLY bad."

"Seriously?!" the Chinese man barked at him for being so stupidly infuriating.

"We'll just have to keep an eye out for another one," Ivan told him indifferently. "If you're lucky, we'll find one around here somewhere. Even Eden has to go to the bathroom sometime, da?"

As it turned out, Yong Soo was lucky. After turning into another corridor, the three came across a multi-stall bathroom. Yong Soo hastily rushed inside, and Ivan decided he might as well go, but Yao decided to wait outside and keep watch. A few minutes later, they exited, but Ivan now had in his possession a long metal pipe with the head of a sink at one end. Yao raised an eyebrow at him questioningly.

"It can make for a good weapon," Ivan explained, swinging the pipe in an outward motion to prove his point. "Just in case we run into a River."

"R-right," he nodded back, wishing he too had a weapon. Even a simple wok would have made him feel better, but he didn't really think things through...

They kept moving, getting closer to Area D with each step, but Yong Soo was getting awfully bored of the scenery. "White wall after white wall," he grumbled. Then with mock enthusiasm, he exclaimed, "Oh look! Another white wall!"

"Hmm, you're right. White is a dreadfully boring color, now isn't it?" A female voice echoed through the hall.

Ivan, Yao, Yong Soo turned around swiftly, muscles tensing, in the direction of the voice only to see a tall brown-haired woman standing a few yards away, a smirk growing on her face. "Eden," Ivan spat bitterly, "I see you haven't changed one bit, but that's no surprise, da?"

"My dear Ivan," Eden said back with mock formality, though wearing a glower full of vindictive venom. "It's been too long. We have much unfinished business to deal with."

"Actually, I have to agree," he seethed. "I should have finished what I started in Moscow."

His comment caused Eden to narrow her eyes dangerously. "Don't underestimate me, Ivan. No one betrays me and gets away with it. You were a fool to come back here. You should have known I don't take traitors lightly. You'll regret that day, that brash decision, just like Honda is regretting his right now."

At the mention of Kiku's surname, Yao's eyes widened in shock. "What have you done to him?" he demanded angrily. "Tell me, you monster!"

This only made her laugh menacingly. "I am no ordinary human, and as such, I'm not satisfied with an ordinary revenge. Throughout my many years I have learned that while physical bodies can be tortured and maimed, true agony comes with the breaking of the human mind. And the human heart. And unfortunately for Kiku, his beloved girl made his heart very vulnerable."

"You don't mean...Maria!" Yong Soo exclaimed in his realization. Fury flared in his eyes and he took a step forward. "If you've hurt Maria, you're going to be the one doing some serious regretting!" he threatened vehemently.

"So you know her too?" Eden tilted her head to the side innocently, "I didn't know. Sorry to have to break this to you, but I'm afraid she's probably dead by now." But there was no hint of remorse in her voice. Yao's eyes grew small at her jarring announcement.

"D-dead?" echoed Yong Soo in daunting horror and utter shock. "That can't be...no...no!" The tinge in his eyes quickly changed from jolting trauma to livid rage. "You evil bitch!" he cried, starting towards her, but their adversary pulled out a gun from within the pocket of her lab coat. She trained it on him, and he halted reluctantly, immense hatred coming over him. He wanted to do nothing more but to assail her and punish her for what she had done to Maria. His mind flashed back to five years ago, when he had attended Mai's funeral and her body had been displayed for the mourners. Except this time, an image of Maria's body appeared in that casket. Still. Lifeless. Dead. He had already lost one good friend to a heartless murder, and now another? His dear cousin?

"You killed her..." Yao repeated hazily, the meaning of those words sinking in slowly. "M-Maria..." He was so appalled and overwhelmed by a total sense of failure and submission that he could barely process anything else around him.

Ivan saw the looks of desperation, denial, and distress stricken upon their faces, and imagined that he would be no different if his own sister had been killed. But if Eden had murdered Katyusha, Ivan knew his reaction would have been much more...extreme. Yao and Yong Soo were having a terribly hard time accepting what Eden had told them, and Eden was relishing in their pain. And this incited a hateful anger in him, and he growled, "Once again you have destroyed the lives of others for your own amusement. I will not let you hurt these people anymore!"

And Ivan was strong enough to do it. Confident enough to take on Eden, who had by far consumed the greatest amount of the Antidote and was exponentially more powerful than each of her Rivers combined. Gripping his pipe defiantly, he took a couple steps towards her even as she aimed her weapon at his chest. "Oh Ivan. You don't know how delighted I was to find out that you were stupid enough to come out of hiding and come here so that I may carry out my retribution. When I found out about the Moscow branch, I have to admit I was completely surprised, but now I've been gifted with payback once again. But as with Honda, your torment will not be so simple. As I said before, the human mind can be tortured just as the human body...But Ivan, when I look at you, I see you are unbalanced."

"Unbalanced?" He tilted his head to the side.

"Yes. Your body has a magnificent amount of strength, I'll give you that, but your mind is not half as powerful. That puts you out of balance, because you choose brawns over brains. That's not uncommon, many humans believe physical strength is the most important. But I know that it's what in here that really matters." She tapped her temple lightly, indicating her brain. "Because what is a human without intelligence? Nothing more than a savage animal, a primitive, bloodthirsty being. And my dear Ivan, that's what you'll be." On that note, she pulled the trigger.

But it was not a bullet that was shot at the Russian. Instead, a tranquilizing dart pierced his neck, injecting it contents into his system. By the time Ivan pulled it out of himself, it was too late; the dart was empty. "What is this?" he demanded fiercely. "What did you do-" Abruptly, he stopped, feeling as if he was pulsating. His jaw clenched and he brought his hands to his temples, trying to reorient himself. Shuddering, he dropped his pipe to the ground, which rolled to Eden's feet.

"What's happening to him?" Yao quivered fearfully for Ivan.

"What the hell was in that dart?" Yong Soo snarled at Eden.

"You see, the Antidote is not the only thing we make down here," she explained matter-of-factly. "This little concoction is actually a prototype of mine, and this was an excellent opportunity to experiment. Since the two of you aren't scientists, I'll explain it as simply as possible. Radiptanium chemically combines with elements such as silicon and boron and numerous others, giving it properties that drugs would have, mimicking the endorphins in the brain, but with an entirely different effect. I have yet to give it a name, since it's still in its early stages, but in theory it can be used to create the ultimate soldier of war. Ivan has just been prescribe with an enhanced dosage of this potion, and perhaps I put too much concentration in it, but that's the beauty of this experiment, is it not? Since this tonic is directed at the mental attributes of a human, my hypothesis is that he will be reduced to nothing but a vicious brute, incapable of civilized thought. The chemicals will reach his brain and shut down his reason and thought processes. An unstoppable monster, that's what he'll be, but one without the ability to distinguish friend from enemy, whose only instinct is to kill."

Ivan's whole body appeared to be quaking, and he clutched his head desperately, trying to fight off the effects of the drug. Veins appeared to be popping by his temples and his pupils dilated so wide, that his violet irises could no longer be seen, just an eye of black and white. Then, all of a sudden, he became very still, then stood up straight, no emotion present in his dark eyes. Eden kicked the pipe to his feet and snickered.

"As much as I'd love to stay and watch, I'm afraid I'll be observing this experiment elsewhere," she said with a sinister grin. "What was it you said earlier? The white walls were too boring? Well, maybe Ivan will paint them red for me...Have fun you three." With that, she whirled around and sped down the corridor, made the nearest turn right, and disappeared out of sight. Yong Soo and Yao blinked at her sudden departure, then looked warily at Ivan, who bent down to pick up his pipe.

"I-Ivan?" Yao ventured cautiously. The Russian turned to face them slowly, with an expressionless face. His eyes sent shivers down Yao's spine; they were blank and soulless. There was a tense moment in which those hollow eyes just stared back vacantly, and then, with no warning, the Russian lashed out with the pipe in his hands. Yong Soo had just enough time to tackle Yao out of the way as Ivan sung his metal weapon at them. Then the two rolled out of the way as he smashed the sink head in the spot where they had been only a split second earlier. Yong Soo and Yao scrambled to their feet, taking fighting stances and Ivan continued to analyze their every move with those dark eyes.

"What do we do?" cried Yong Soo frantically.

"I-I don't know! He's our friend, we can't hurt him," exclaimed Yao fretfully. But Yong Soo doubted they could even hurt him if they tried. The Russian was just too strong, and too lethal.

"Snap out of it!" Yong Soo shouted as the Russian lumbered toward Yao, gripping his pipe. But Ivan didn't show any sign that he had heard, and kept advancing on the Chinese man ominously. "We have no other choice!" the Korean said ruefully as he moved to help his friend. Ivan heard him coming, and whipped around, swinging the pipe for his head. Yong Soo ducked and counterattacked by kicking upward and connecting his foot with his chin. The Russian was thrown off balance, but soon recovered his footing and his muscles tightened. He set his jaw straight again and then assailed Yong Soo with speed the Korean didn't anticipate. His reaction was just seconds too slow; the end the of pipe slammed into Yong Soo's rib cage with a sickening crunch as one of his ribs snapped. He cried out as the force of the blow pushed him to the ground.

"Yong Soo!" Yao finally realized that they really didn't have any other choice but to fight back. He jumped in between Ivan and his fallen friend, ready to defend him. Mindlessly, the brute began his array of wild swings and strikes and lashes as Yao struggled to evade them all. "Ivan, it's us! We're your friends! Please remember!" But his efforts to reach Ivan's memories were in vain. Trying to buy time for Yong Soo to recover, Yao waiting for the moments in Ivan's strikes when his arm was too outstretched, and them made his own blows. Again and again he was able to land a punch or a chop or a kick behind Ivan's guard and onto his body, but they didn't seem to do more than annoy him.

Meanwhile, Yong Soo was getting back to feet. His upper torso ached and his broken rib caused him to wince badly, and not to mention his back never fully healed from the attack in the park, but he was determined to keep fighting. Just as he was about to help Yao, the Chinese man attempted to strike Ivan's jaw with the back of his knuckles, when the Russian caught his fist in his free hand and threw Yao into the wall of the hallway. Seizing his chance, Yong Soo leapt up into the air, and threw a roundhouse kick to his adversary's temple. However, Ivan blocked it with his forearm, and he was forced to jump back out of the range of his pipe. Not one to give up so easily, Yong Soo came in for a second combination of attacks, throwing swift punches and trying to gain ground on Ivan. But when the Russian thrust his foot into his chest, the Korean didn't stand much of a chance. He tumbled backward, but Yao took his place against Ivan.

"Ivan, please! We are not your enemy! Think about Laura, about your sister!" Yao pleaded as he fought, desperately trying to bring him back. "I know you're in there somewhere! Fight it!" And still his words were useless, for Ivan did not relent.

As Yong Soo used his arms to push himself back up, he wondered if it was even possible to beat this guy. The guy had ripped a freaking pipe right out of the wall earlier! How do you beat someone like that? He could think of no answer to that question, but they were running out of time. Soon the two of them would become exhausted, and Ivan didn't even seem to be breaking a sweat. That drug must have also enhanced his brutish strength.

But as he glanced up, he saw Ivan slamming the side of the pipe into Yao's cheek, sending back quite a ways down the hall. But after a dreadful moment, Yao still didn't move. "Yao!" Yong Soo cried hysterically. No, he couldn't be dead! Not him too!

Then Yao coughed, and looked up dizzily, blood trickling down the corner of his lip. He had blacked out for an instant, when he tried to get up he collapsed once more, his sense of balance was completely thrown off, and the diplopic vision only made things worse. Seeing the opportunity to finish him off, Ivan took a step towards him, but Yong Soo grabbed his attention, "Hey! Ivan, over here!" He started towards him, and Ivan accepted this challenge and turned to face Yong Soo instead.

And Yong Soo, whose physical body was beginning to tire even though his spirit was still resolute, rashly charged the Russian, punch after punch, which was effortlessly dodged. Recklessly, the Korean put too much strength behind a single punch, and Ivan sidestepped smoothly, using his momentum against him. For a brief instant, Yong Soo's back was to the Russian, who did not let the chance go to waste. He swung the pipe with incredible force, and it struck him on the back of his midsection in a powerful blow.

An intense, searing pain shot through his whole body for a fleeting moment as Yong Soo fell to the ground, a scream of absolute agony escaping him. When he hit the ground, a numb sensation came over his lower torso and his legs, while his midsection was in sharp pain. And when he tried with all his might to stand up, he found he could not move his legs at all. Sheer fear and panic seized him when he realized what had happened. His spine, already injured, had been severed clean through. He was paralyzed from the waist down.

* * *

Eden was actually not far from their trial. She could hear the Korean boy's scream resounding off the hallways' walls from where she stood leaning against another wall, her eyes intently watching the show on her tablet, which had connected to a security camera that had a view of Ivan's brawl. When the live video stream showed Ivan slamming the pipe into Yong Soo's back, an amused smile passed over her face. This had been a long-awaited revenge, and she was savoring every moment of it. Her hypothesis was correct; Ivan seemed to have no recollection of his friends and only thought to terminate those around him. She was not sure, however, how long the effects would last, but by then, she assumed the other two trespassers would be dead.

Reminded of trespassers, she decided to check to main digital map on her tablet, but blinked in confusion when she took a good look at it. Euphrates was still tailing the bounty hunter and Pison was tracking someone down in Area B, that was correct. But Gihon seemed to be in retreat from his targets, something that struck Eden as rather unusual. But even more perplexing, Hiddekel's marker was streaking through Area B at the moment, instead of guarding Honda's cell. What was he doing there? Instantly, her eyes darted over to where Honda's marker should have been in the cell, but the cell was empty. Her eyes narrowed and then searched Area A, where she found two human markers out of place. Since all her scientists were under orders to stay in their assigned lab rooms, one of those misplaced markers had to Honda, but was the one next to him that girl? How could that be possible though? She should have been dead by now!

Touching her earpiece to activate the voice communication with her River, she barked, "Hiddekel! Why have you left your post?" But the only answer she got was static, indicating that something was wrong with Hiddekel's earpiece or he had disabled it on purpose. Infuriated, she realized she had no other choice but to deal with Honda herself. She did not want to leave Ivan alone now of all times, since the effects of the drug were bound to wear off eventually, but this was Area C, and Honda was roaming around Area A, a much more vital sector. After she dealt with Honda, she had some serious scolding to do with Hiddekel.

* * *

Laura was so angry with herself that she was actually considering adopting Lovino's colorful language. First of all, she could not believe she had just let Pison take Maria away. She should have done something to help! But no, she just hid behind that door like a coward. Pathetic, that's what she felt like. If Eden decided it was time to exact her revenge by using Maria, Laura shuddered to think what kind of sick, twisted torment she had in mind. And if Eden had decided it was time for revenge, that also meant Kiku was somewhere down here, probably captured. The only reassurance she had was that she had given her a box containing the Antidote, but she never told her what it was. But Laura convinced herself that she would not let Maria's sacrifice be in vain; her friend had bought her time to find the data connected with the Acid Death and destroy it.

The only problem was, Laura had made absolutely no progress since Maria was taken. She had searched about fifteen more rooms and had only found data about the Antidote. She was just about ready to give up, when she came across another room, but this one was different from the others. Instead of a door knob, it was an automatic door with a keypad for inserting a pass code. Now Laura, who had been high-ranking with the research team before being locked up, knew several pass codes used in various Teramist laboratories. Her fingers crossed, she punched in one of the more complex ones, hoping that she had guessed correctly. However, the pass code beep twice and flashed a quick red light, indicating her access had been denied. Sighing, she tried a second pass code with the same result. But when she typed in a third pass code, her prayers had been answered and the keypad flashed green before the door slid open.

Smiling to herself, she entered the room to find that it contained cabinets compiled of various folders about different Teramist experiments. There had to be something about Acid Death in here, Laura had a good hunch that there was. The first cabinet she checked still only had folders about the Antidote and its progress, but the second cabinet she thumbed through puzzled her. It explained a new experiment Eden had just authorized, one that was theorized to boost one's strength while making its consumer completely obedient, and eventually create the perfect soldier or war. Apparently it was only in its prototype stages, so Laura didn't think it was much of a threat quite yet. Her main priority was the Acid Death. The fourth cabinet was irrelevant, but when she opened the fifth cabinet, she felt as if she had hit a gold mine.

The top of the first page of the first folder was titled "Project AD: Acid Death." After pouring over the documents carefully and keenly, she found the page that listed its progress, and her eyes widened. "Oh no...I'm too late," she whispered, crestfallen. "'Acid Death status is now complete,'" she read aloud, the weight of those words crushing her.

Suddenly, the automatic door slid shut, locking her in. Laura spun around, startled at first, but then her surprise instantly changed to fright. Pison leered at her in disturbing anticipation. "Interested in Acid Death, my dear Laura? If you wanted to know about it so much, you could have just asked. I would have told you," he snickered.

"You bastard," she spat, "As if the Antidote was bad enough. Eden has gone too far!"

"Too far?" The River laughed manically, "There is no limit for Eden. That's what I love about being a River! We are the superior race, and we can take whatever we want, for no one can stop us! Acid Death is my favorite potion so far, but because I have to take care of you, I don't get to see it in action, unfortunately."

"In-in action?" They were testing it on humans already? The mere thought made Laura sick to her stomach.

"Yeah, in fact, I got to inject it into that fellow inmate of yours...what was that girl's name again? Mary...Marie..."

"Maria," Laura finished, and her throat went dry. "You-you used it on her?" Her voice cracked. She had just finished reading the effects of the concoction, which induces an acidic torture, slow and burning, in its victim.

An insane, disturbing look of amusement passed over the River's face. "Yep, I heard her tortured scream with my own ears, and let me tell you, I have never heard a more invigorating sound!" he sneered, eyes alight with malicious pleasure.

A grotesque, cruel image manifested by his words came into Laura's mind, and she blanched with her eyes widening. "You..." she sputtered, then her feelings of mixed shock and despair morphed into a terrible hatred and animosity. "You _monster_!" she shouted, anger getting the better of her, her fists clenched. Tears sprang into her eyes, but she held them back. "You won't get away with this! You will burn for what you've done!"

"Oh really? Because I've been getting away with these kind of things for decades now! Nothing can stop a River of Eden!"

"You're wrong," Laura protested hotly, "These atrocities can't go on forever. Even if I can't stop you, even if Kiku can't stop you, there will always be another righteous person. And eventually, you'll get what's been coming to you for a long time now!" It pained her to think that she had ever worked with Teramist, to think that her research was being used to create the horrific potions such as the Acid Death, to think that her work was stimulating the murder of innocent people. How could she have ever been so naive? How could she have trusted Teramist when all along, they were doing just the opposite of what she had wanted, killing instead of helping people? Now she would give anything to just turn back time and stop herself from making such a drastic mistake. But it was too late for that; all she could do now was try to right the wrongs she had done for this accursed company.

"Oh Laura," he shook his head with a condescending tone. "You people never learn. No mere human can ever defeat us. Humans are so easily manipulated and destroyed." Abruptly, he stopped, then flashed her that wicked smirk of his again. "That's enough talk. Today, Eden has granted me the permission to spill blood, to do away with you however I please. This is such a rare gift that I must savor ever vivid moment of it...so scream at full volume for me, okay?" He took a step toward her, and Laura took two back, only to bump into the wall behind her. Terror began to overwhelm her as she frantically looked for a way out, but Pison was between her and the only exit. "What's wrong, dear Laura? You aren't _afraid_, are you?" he taunted, "What happened to all that feistiness you used to have? You're such a pretty thing..." Out of nowhere, his voice softened, and he stared into her eyes with a strange yearning in them. "You know, you've always had a...certain tenacity that I've found quite attractive. Perhaps if you beg on your knees, I'll let you live, as a servant of mine."

The random offer caught Laura completely off guard. She stared back into those black irises of his for a moment, reading his intentions, before narrowing her own eyes. "Like hell I will," she spat at him. As if she'd ever stoop so low to work for the evil bastard. She'd rather die than become his plaything.

That sinister smile came over his lips, "A shame. Oh well." Then he surged forward and his arm shot out, gripping her neck before she could get away. Using that incredible strength of his, he flung her across the room as if she was nothing but a ragdoll. Laura crashed into a glass storage cabinet, and it shattered upon impact, shards crashing to the ground and some cutting her skin. And in the blink of an eye, Pison was standing over her as she tried to pick herself off the floor. When he grabbed the collar of her shirt and lifted her in the air, she did her best to fight him off, kicking at his torso, scratching at his muscular arms.

Instead of letting go, he laughed again, "Don't stop struggling; when I'm supposed preserve blood, the ones that struggle can be quite annoying, but I actually like women who put up a fight."

Irately, she thrust her foot into his groin, and in surprise, he dropped her. She scrambled for the door, but Pison was just too fast. As he tackled her legs to stop her from escaping, she fell onto the hard floor once more, her glasses cracking but still stayed on her face. Not giving her anytime to recover, Pison got to his feet and stood in front of the door again. "Not so fast, dear Laura. The fun hasn't even begun yet."

* * *

"...Gil, do you even know where you're going?" Elizaveta asked, exasperated as she grasp the handle of the metal suitcase. "I swear you're leading us in circles."

"Of course I know where I'm going, I'm a guy," the albino retorted. "I definitely have a much better sense of direction that you." Even though his demeanor was nonchalant, he was carefully keeping an eye on the hall before him, glancing behind them once in a while, and making cautious checks around each corner. He held his gun at his side, ready to use it if needed, but that didn't make the bad feeling in his gut go away.

"Right," Elizaveta said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes. "We need to get to Area A, but I think we're still in Area B. But when we get there, do you know how to wipe the database with Alfred's USB?"

"...I'll cross that bridge when I get there," was Gilbert's reply, making his partner sigh, knowing she shouldn't have expected a better answer. Sensing her unease, he added, "Don't even worry about it, Lizzie. The awesome me is going to take down Teramist, you can bet on it!" This made her smile a bit; once in a while the albino would actually show some fidelity and valor, though Elizaveta knew it was always there, inside his brave, zealous heart. But she just loved it when he proved it to her. Realizing what she was thinking, she shook her head quickly, dismissing the thought immediately. This was definitely not the time to be considering her partner in such a way...

When he glanced back again, Gilbert saw the small smile on her lips, and for some reason, it encouraged him. But he forced himself to focus on the task at hand, and after years of being a bounty hunter, he knew how to handle situations such as these. Proceeding with caution, he felt a renewed feeling of apprehension come over him. He paused, and Elizaveta also came to a stop, raising an eyebrow at him, but he put a finger to his lips and listened carefully. Footsteps. They could hear faint footsteps coming towards them at an increasing speed from behind them. Stepping in front of his partner, Gilbert tensed and waited as Elizaveta drew her gun.

Soon enough, their pursuer revealed herself when Euphrates suddenly appeared running towards them before skidding to a halt, catching sight of them. Straightening up, she regarded him for a moment with a pleased expression, even though both Gilbert and Elizaveta had their weapons trained on her. "I've finally found you two," she smirked. Then her smile faltered as her gaze moved to Elizaveta. "Your shoulder...it's better, I see. You haven't drunk the Antidote recently, have you?" She paused, but Elizaveta didn't answer. Sighing, she continued, "I guess it doesn't matter. So why don't you just come quietly and give me that suitcase before someone gets hurt again? It would make both of your lives much easier, I assure you."

"Or how about you just scram before I have to hurt _you_," Gilbert snapped, temper blazing, "There's no way you're laying a finger on this suitcase." He ought to have pulled the trigger, he knew, but he hesitated. As a bounty hunter, sometimes he had no other choice to but shoot and even kill, which he had done before, but those were only the villains who were truly dangerous to the public safety. This River was definitely a danger to those around her, and especially since she had captured numerous people who were murdered in this laboratory. But still, Gilbert was reluctant to fire. Perhaps it was because she was a woman; normally his targets were ruthless male criminals who were violent and wild, but Euphrates was different. She quite reminded him of a fox, sly and graceful as she preyed on weaker beings.

However, he was aware of Elizaveta's disquiet behind him as her grip tightened on the suitcase anxiously. He remembered when Euphrates had struck her with that deadly knife not long ago, and he was determined not to let anything like that happen to her again. His resolve strengthened, Gilbert rested his finger on the trigger and took a deep breath. This time, he would defeat her.

"Fine, I guess I'll have to take it from you by force," she sighed. Then with the flex of her wrists, two throwing knifes came out of the sleeves of her leather suit and she sent them flying with lethal accuracy just as Gilbert and Elizaveta fired their guns.

* * *

From the Author: :) That's me being evil again with numerous cliffhangers...can you see how close we are to the climax? It's on its way fast! Can't wait!

Anyways, what were your reactions? Thoughts? Opinions? Love to hear it! Just click that little button that says "Review" please ;)

**itgirl18: **About that, the title was supposed to be Gihon's Game, as in the game he "plays" with Lovino and Antonio. Anyways, thanks and no problem!

**hetaliaforever123: **Yay, I like Hiddekel too :) he's a nice character to write. Thanks for the reviews!

**Tsuruya-san88: **Thanks! And for that last part, I'm not going to say anything... ;)

**chibibeanie: **Still thinking that one up :) I have a couple of ideas!

**Juusan13:** For that one question, you'll just have to wait and see how that all plays out :P Nice haiku, it's very much appreciated!

So I'm going to announce something right now, and I hope it doesn't seriously disappoint too many people...But anyway, the more evil characters of this story are OCs rather than AU versions of nations because I didn't want to come off racist by selecting certain characters and making them the bad guys. I was able to do that in Double Vision because their counterparts were good, but in this one, Eden is not a canon character. Sorry if I totally gave you a headache while to tried to figure out who she was.

But that's enough typing from me, I hope you really liked this chap because I found it fun to write! And don't forget to review :) Til next chapter!


	15. Chapter 15: Of the Mind and Heart

Disclaimer: Hmm...I wonder. Do I own hetalia at all? Nope.

Note: This chapter works best if you read with an open mind :) Enjoy!

* * *

No, no, _no_! This could not be happening! No _fucking_ way was this happening to him. It was _impossible_! These were the thoughts that initially ran through Yong Soo's mind as he struggled in vain to move his legs and get up on his feet. But it was no use. The damage was already done, and he was paralyzed completely below his waist. Even still, he could not just give up and forfeit his life. Clenching his fists, he endured the agonizing pain as he tried again and again to push himself up, but only managed to flip himself over so that he was lying on his back- and looking straight up at Ivan once more. Upon seeing the Russian loom over him, his disbelief swiftly turned to terror and alarm. Those dark emotionless eyes chillingly stared back at him blankly, no sign of the real Ivan present. Unable to move and utterly helpless, Yong Soo could do nothing but cry out in panic as the brute seized him by the collar of his shirt and hoisted him off the ground with ease, dropping the pipe as he did so.

Yao, quite some ways down the hall, still couldn't regain his sense of balance after his last blow. With all his willpower, he tried to stand up again, but staggered before tripping over his own feet. There was no way he could reach his friend in time. He knew with frightful certainty that the Russian could easily snuff out Yong Soo's life by simply crushing his windpipe, and even a single, powerful punch from Ivan could break his skull. Desperation came over him as he called to Ivan, "Stop! Please remember us! Don't do it!" However, there was no response again as Ivan cocked his arm back, about to deliver a decisive, probably final blow. All he could do was watch in horror.

And Yong Soo, whose bruised and beaten body dangled limply under Ivan's grip, was overwhelmed with fear for a terrifying instant. Ivan could do it, he could kill him, right then and there. But then Yong Soo realized that as soon as he was dead, the Russian would eliminate Yao, who didn't stand a chance, and that realization replaced his petrifying fear. He had to think quickly; he could not just let Yao die. He had already lost too many of his friends. He had failed Maria, but it was already too late for that, now he couldn't afford to fail Yao as well. But what could he do to save him? His lower body was useless, and Ivan was just too strong. Yao had already tried to reach the real Ivan to get him to snap out of it, but to no avail.

Then suddenly he had an idea. Yao had been trying to reach Ivan through his heart, his sentimentality, but that wasn't strong enough because the Russian was not that kind of person. Compassion wasn't strong enough. Eden had said that her toxin had targeted the mind, but what could reawaken his mind if attachment couldn't? Was there an emotion stronger than love? At least in Ivan's case there might be...And then he had it.

"Looks like Eden was right," Yong Soo murmured disdainfully, "She was able to render you a mindless, stupid brute. She beat you." It was his last-ditch effort, to induce enough spite and rancor in Ivan to break him out of his trance. And even Yong Soo had to admit, anger could be just as a powerful, irrational emotion.

The Russian's eyes remained vacant, but the fact that he still had not killed him yet meant that there was still hope, so he continued, "I thought you were stronger than this, Ivan. Frankly, I'm disappointed. I thought you proved to be better than Eden, you even said you defeat her. I guess you were all talk, weren't you? You've been played!" Just then, Yong Soo could have sworn he saw the tiniest flash of irritation in those hollow eyes. He kept going, talking faster, with a much more condescending tone. "Eden practically destroyed you without so much as a single blow. How pathetic! She's made you do her dirty work. Now you're nothing but her bitch."

Ivan's eyes narrowed, and his fist, still cocked back, tightened. If this didn't work, Yong Soo knew he was dead for sure. But he had no other choice. "You lost so easily! You're such a disgrace, you don't even have any business wearing that scarf! You shame your sister! Without your mind, your honor, you are nothing!" His scolding words were so packed with contempt and disparagement, he even surprised himself. "You are _weak_, Ivan!"

The Russian's eyes widened, then grew infuriated. "I AM NOT WEAK!" he roared, slamming Yong Soo's back to the wall behind him. His dark eyes faded to their normal violet hue, and he was breathing heavily, giving him a startled look as he realized what he was doing. After a tense moment, he blinked and remembered what he had done. "Что я сделал? О боже..." he whispered, incomprehensible to the Korean, but that didn't matter. Yong Soo knew he had done it and exhaled with relief as Ivan gingerly gathered him up in his arms and went over to Yao. The Russian seemed to be in a state of pure shock as he gently set Yong Soo down with extra care next to the Chinese man, who was just as relieved as he tried to reorient himself.

"Are you okay?" Yong Soo asked Yao sincerely, concerned for his older friend who held his hand to his temple.

"I'll be fine, I just need a moment," he replied, more anxious about the Korean's injury. "But you, on the other hand..."

Yong Soo looked away, not wanting his own eyes to betray the dispirited hopelessness he felt deep down inside. There was no feeling from his nerves below his midsection, and he knew how critical damage to the spine could be. "I...can't move my legs," he mumbled, forcing his voice to keep from cracking.

"You...your spine..." Yao said softly. Yong Soo hated the pity present in Yao's eyes, so he refused to meet them.

"I did this..." Ivan said, furious with himself, his own faults. This whole time Eden was right, he really was nothing more than a savage monster. And Yong Soo was right; he was a weak, pathetic human being.

"I don't blame you for anything," Yong Soo consoled, "It was Eden's fault. We-we can't afford to feel sorry for ourselves now. What's done is done." Yao wanted to say something, to examine his back, in the hope that it wasn't permanent paralysis, but he knew better. The only way for Yong Soo to get through this was to focus on the more pressing matters, to disregard his own injury. He could see it in his eyes that the Korean was secretly harboring immense pains emitted from his back, but Yong Soo was trying to keep it together for all their sakes. And he knew there was a much more deepening ache in his heart right now.

"What...what are we going to do now?" Yao ventured uncertainly.

"We came here in order to save Maria, but now that she's...she's..." Yong Soo could not bring himself to say it. Just the mere thought made him want to break down mentally, but that was not an option right now. Maria would not have wanted that. "We also came here to look for Laura," he said, "Do you think she's-she's still alive?" He looked at Yao, who was still uncertain and crestfallen, his own heart twisting at the pain of losing Maria. No doubt he too had a terrible feeling of despair and failure as well. Ivan still had a perturbed look on his face, a mixture of shame and frustration, which was rather different from the headstrong powerhouse he had been when they first entered the laboratory. "We can't give up now," Yong Soo told them, "Laura might still be alive, and there might be other captives down here as well."

"...Right," Yao finally agreed, realizing that that is what Maria would have wanted them to do.

The two looked at Ivan, who paused, his eyes unreadable, before saying, "Da. Eden will regret what's she's done. She will regret it very much."

Buy Yao glanced at Yong Soo worriedly again. "How are you...going to move? And don't even think for a second we are going to leave you behind, so don't suggest it."

"I'll carry him," Ivan offered, "I did this to him, he saved me from myself, so I'll do it." Yong Soo nodded in acquiescence, hating to burden his friends with his own uselessness but seeing no other option. He'd rather them leave him, but Yao was much too fatherly to do that. Resisting the urge to grunt as Ivan picked him up, he was determined not to show any notion of pain, although his midsection was far from okay. However, his rage towards Eden and Teramist made it easier to swallow that pain. The best medicine for him right now would be closure, and nothing was going to stop them from getting it.

As Yao was getting off the floor, the three suddenly heard swift pair of footsteps quickly coming in their direction. They tensed, and in a matter of seconds, there was Hiddekel, dashing around the corner and skidding to a halt when he caught sight of them with a surprised expression on his face. "What...what are you three doing here?" he stammered, puzzled.

But as soon as Yong Soo saw him, fury and scorn filled his throat. "You! You're the one who kidnapped Maria! You brought her here and now she's dead because of you!" he seethed, anger flaring.

"What? No-I-she's not dead!" the former River replied in confusion.

"You're Eden's River, aren't you?" Ivan said menacingly.

"Yes, I mean, I was, but-" he tried, but was cut off by Yao.

"You'll pay for what you've done to Maria!"

"I told you, Maria's still alive!" he asserted.

"And why should we believe you?" Yong Soo growled. This guy was so lucky he was paralyzed, or Yong Soo would have beaten the crap out of him...

"Eden forced Acid Death into Maria's bloodstream to torture her and Kiku, but she had a vial of the Antidote. She lives, I swear!" Hiddekel/Jaidee explained. "She said that Laura had given it to her."

"How can you possible expect us to trust you?" Yao demanded.

Jaidee put his hands over his head. "I'm not going to fight you. I was on my way to Area D to free the prisoners. Maria convinced me to do the right thing this time. She told me how to live a life worth living."

"That's not enough for us," Ivan insisted bitterly. "Eden is a clever liar, and she probably trained you to be the same."

"You have every right to hate me right now, and every right to kill me, but you have to believe me! Maria and Kiku are in Area A trying to shut this place down as we speak. It's only a matter of time before Eden finds out! I have to get as many people out of here as possible," Jaidee pleaded. He couldn't fight them but he could not afford to waste anymore time. "Eden has heat scanners tracking everyone's movements all over the lab, we don't have much time!"

Yong Soo hesitated. Could Maria really be alive? Or was the River just playing them? But he was right about one thing; they had no time to spare. "Fine, you can go to Area D. Save everybody you can."

Ivan and Yao were a bit shocked, but Jaidee exhaled with relief and thanked him. "Here." Jaidee tossed Yao a key card. "Good luck," he waved as he sprinted past them, resuming his initial journey across the laboratory.

Once he was gone, Yao asked, looking at card in his hand, "Do you really trust him?"

"It's not so much that I believe him, but I want to believe him," sighed Yong Soo. If what Jaidee said was true, then Maria really was alive. But he could only hope. "Let's go back towards Area A. It's our best plan of action." And it was, really; if Maria was alive, they could help her and Kiku take down Teramist once and for all, and if she was dead, they could take it upon themselves to have their retribution.

* * *

Two more knives appeared in Euphrates's hands as she used them to deflect the bullets fired upon her. Both Gilbert and Elizaveta narrowly dodged the flying knives and continue shoot their weapons, but she was just too good. Decades of drinking the Antidote gave her superhuman advantages in all her sense, but namely her sight allowed her accuracy to her unerringly precise. She caught each bullet that was on target with the blade of one of her knives, sending it into the walls of the corridor or back at them.

"Don't shoot," Gilbert told his partner bitterly. "The ricochet is too dangerous, we'll get hit again."

Clenching her teeth, Elizaveta obeyed and brought out her frying pan that had been strapped on her back as Gilbert retrieved a butterfly knife from his belt.

"So I guess you humans do catch on eventually," Euphrates laughed. Then she rocketed from her spot, darting so fast that in a blink of an eye, she was slashing at Gilbert, who barely had enough time to check it with his own blade. Elizaveta swung her pan at their enemy, but she just nimbly jumped out of the way, throwing another knife. The Hungarian blocked it with her pan as Gilbert lunged for Euphrates, and the two entered intense close combat with their blades clashing against each other with distinct _clang!_s. As they circled each other in a deadly dance with their daggers, Elizaveta could only watch helplessly, for they moved so fast. She knew she wouldn't be able to keep up and might even end up striking Gilbert instead.

Gilbert was pushing his body to the limit with this fight. His own reflexes were just swift enough to prevent her knife from cutting too deep into his skin, but it was impossible to stop all of her slashes. He focused on the more fatal strikes, but even then he knew his body couldn't take too much more. Euphrates didn't even seem to be trying; she attacked with a flurry of jabs and swipes effortlessly. Gilbert hadn't been able to pierce her clothes once, much less her skin, and she had inflicted many minor cuts already. When she pushed exceptionally hard as their blades crossed, he was thrown off balance, giving her the chance to spin around and slam her heel into his right cheek. The force of her kick sent him into the wall and he crumpled to the ground dizzily.

Then his partner stepped in, attempting to hammer her frying pan into the side of her temple. Euphrates ducked, then lunged, but Elizaveta anticipated it and sidestepped at just the right second. While the River was still in motion, Elizaveta was able to land a good, solid blow into her forehead, sending the River tumbling backwards. At this point, Gilbert was just getting to his feet. He grinned at his partner when he saw her nice move.

But it would take more than that to actually hurt a River of Eden. Euphrates sat up, irate at such humiliation. As she got up, Gilbert and Elizaveta exchanged knowing glances and nodded before attacking the River simultaneously with coordinated strikes. The two took turns assailing their adversary, trying to overwhelm her, but Euphrates had dealt with multiple opponents before. With her quick impulses, the River easily avoided being hit while still managing to slice with her knives. Using her speed to its fullest potential, she thrust her foot into Gilbert's chest, catching him off guard and sending him skidding back down the hall. Elizaveta kept fighting, picking up his slack, putting all her might into her livid swings. Euphrates was definitely dominating the brawl, however, fighting with expressionless, eerie composure. With one swift, fluid motion, the River fell into a crouch as she ducked Elizaveta's wild swing, and whipped around her own leg, sweeping Elizaveta right off her feet. While the Hungarian was still airborne, Euphrates made use of her paranormal skills and drove her foot into the girl's stomach, and the next thing Elizaveta knew, she was rolling head over heels with an aching pain in her gut. When Elizaveta finally came to a halt, she glanced up light-headedly from the floor to see Gilbert finally standing up a few yards away. She sat up slowly, hugging her stomach.

Euphrates flexed her wrists once more, gripping her next throwing knives delicately. "This time, the Antidote won't save you from my blade," she murmured. "You're finished, girl." On that note, she hurled her weapons with impossible velocity.

Instinctively, Elizaveta flinched and turned away, expecting the knives to lodge themselves in her brain or heart. But they never did. After a dreadful moment, she opened her eyes and gasped at what she saw before her. There was Gilbert, that stupid, courageous Prussian, who had just enough time to slide in front of her and use his own body as a shield for her, his arms spread out protectively. "Are you...all right?" he croaked, restraining the agony in his voice. Unable to stand any longer, he collapsed before her, revealing the two knives embedded in his back, just between his shoulder blades. Blood seeped into his clothes from the wounds, and his breathes were shallow.

"Gilbert!" Elizaveta shrieked, quickly pulling out the two blades from his body and attempting to stop the bleeding with her bare hands. "Please, please just stay with me! Stay awake!"

The albino gripped her hand weakly, trying to comfort his partner, "I-I'm still here...I'm not going anywhere..." he lied meekly.

Meanwhile Euphrates watched them, in pure astonishment, stunned into silence, mouth hanging open. "Why?" she whispered, balling her fists in frustration. Then her voice grew louder, until she was practically shouting in rage. "Why, why, why! Why would you sacrifice your life for hers? It doesn't make any sense! What do you gain? Only death! So why would you do it?" She seemed on the verge of hysteria and madness, eyes wild.

"You wouldn't understand," Elizaveta seethed back, acrimoniously, "Someone like you would never understand!" She didn't give up on Gilbert's wounds, but the blades had cut to deep. She could barely feeling his faint heartbeat through his rib cage. "Just k-keep breathing Gil, please, don't think about anything else," she pleaded desperately.

"I-I'm trying..." he mumbled back, eye lids heavy, "I...I'm sorry."

"No, no Gil, don't say that just yet!" she cried, "You-you're going to make it out of this, I promise! In and out, that's all there is to it." But his eyes were closed, and his did not respond. Tears streamed down her face and dropped onto his pallid cheeks. "Gilbert! You can't leave me down here! Please come back, wake up! I-I need you, I _love_ you!"

That word...love. Elizaveta's cry made Euphrates's own insides twist and tighten about. Why would anyone give their life to save another's? There was no gain, no purpose! It didn't make any sense! Love, was that his own motive for throwing away his life? Life was the one thing humans held most dear to them, wasn't it? So why forfeit it for someone else's sake? Why? The only plausible answer was that the bounty hunter must have valued the girl's life over his, but how can that be? "Is..is that love?" the River murmured softly again. That singular emotion that she could never grasp, that had been kept from her for decades. The one Eden had kept from her.

It was an irrational emotion, but it was...passionate beyond her understanding, it was true. And it was the one thing she wanted more than anything now. Euphrates fell to her knees, her hands clasped over her temples in utter psychosis, torn between what she had always known and what she desired most.

Elizaveta's grief was swallowed by vengeance. Her anger incomprehensible to even her, she jumped to her feet, drawing the gun from its holster with her bloodied hands. She trained it on the dysfunctional River, who didn't make any move to defend herself. Seeing her in such a pitiful state was the only thing that stayed Elizaveta's finger from pulling the trigger. She could do it, bring justice to this wicked girl, evil murderer...but...what would that make her? Gil would want her to kill the River, right?

The River stared back at her with crazed eyes, a frenzied look on her face that somewhat frightened Elizaveta. "Just do it! Shoot!" Euphrates screeched, tears welling in her eyes. "Just end my life! There's no point in living like this any longer! I-I can't take it anymore!" And she really couldn't. Love? Who was she kidding? An monster like her could never obtain love. Perhaps death really was the only option left.

"...No," Elizaveta said, taking a deep breath and lowering her weapon. "I won't take your life. It's not mine to take."

"Are, are you forgiving me?" Euphrates asked incredulously after a pause, shock displacing her frenzy.

"No, never. What you've done...it's unforgivable," Elizaveta snapped, looking away regretfully.

"...You love him, don't you?" Euphrates questioned with a fractured gaze, but retaining a more sensible disposition.

The Hungarian didn't answer, but knelt at Gilbert's side instead. She laid a trembling hand on his cold cheek gently, and froze when she felt the lightest flicker of a pulse. He was still alive! But only just...

And suddenly Euphrates was behind her, crouching, with a softened and more sane expression. Elizaveta was about to lash out defensively, when the other girl pulled a chain necklace over her head and held it out to her. Dangling from the chain was what seemed to be a large, glass, cylindrical pendant that was a lustrous red, but then she noticed the cork at the top. It was a vial.

Elizaveta hesitated at first, reluctant to trust the River, but knowing it was her only hope, she took the vial and quickly uncorked it. Propping Gilbert's head on her leg, she opened his lips apart slightly and tipped the contents of the vial into his mouth before immediately covering it and praying the Antidote would work with such little life left in her dear partner.

There was a anxious pause, but then Gilbert's eyes fluttered open, and Elizaveta was overjoyed to see those ruby irises again. He coughed lightly and started to sit up as his wounds began to close themselves, and his partner squealed with relief and elation at his revival, tackling him with a bear hug.

"Lizzie! I can't breathe!" Gilbert choked out, and when she let go, he could help but laugh.

"I hate you, you know that? You are such an idiot! A reckless, brave idiot!" Elizaveta chided while holding back a smile, wiping away a tear.

"You forgot 'awesome' idiot," Gilbert chuckled. "And I don't think you did much hating when you tackle-hugged me..." But then he remembered that they were not alone, and turned to face the River. "Did you..did you give her your Antidote?" he asked tentatively, now having mixed feelings towards Euphrates, who had a weary atmosphere about her, rather than an enigmatic one.

When she nodded, Elizaveta asked reproachfully, "Why?"

Euphrates thought for a moment before answering, "I'm...not sure actually. Maybe I was hoping...that you two would explain to me the feelings you have for each other. Is-is that love?"

Gilbert and Elizaveta exchanged glances, both turning bright shades of red. Instead of answering, Elizaveta dodged the question. "Is that all you wanted? Haven't you ever cared for someone before?"

The girl sighed and stared at the floor as she spoke, not one to be so enthusiastic about opening up. "Who is there in my life to care about? Certainly not Eden or Gihon or Pison. And Hiddekel and I maintain a mutual neutrality. Other than, there's no one left."

"Well of course, if you just keep yourself to Teramist!" Elizaveta exclaimed. "I can't explain affection to you, it's something you have to discover for yourself."

"Do you really think there's someone out there who could ever give so much as a care for me?" Euphrates said resentfully. In all honesty, she knew what kind of person she was. Harsh, stubborn, aggressive. And she knew that those traits repelled other people; they always have.

"Once you've separated yourself from this kind of work, there might be! You just need to find someone who's your type," the Hungarian advised thoughtfully.

"My type? Now what does that mean?" the other girl echoed uncertainly.

Elizaveta opened her mouth to speak, but Gilbert cut her off, "I'd hate to interrupt your little love lesson, but Kiku is counting on us to shut this place down."

At the mention of Honda's first name, Euphrates frowned ruefully and grinded her teeth. Sensing her discomfort, Elizaveta inquired suspiciously, "You were the one who captured him. What did you do to him?"

With no other choice but to confess, Euphrates told them about the Acid Death torture used on Maria as Kiku was forced to watch. "I was given orders by Eden to capture you, so I didn't stick around too long...but the girl's most likely dead by now."

"That-that _bitch_! I'll tear her apart the next time I see her," Gilbert snarled wrathfully. An overwhelming feeling of failure crashed over him. Not only had he owed Kiku for his brother's life, but the Japanese man was also his dear friend. And he could only imagine the pain he had to go through to witness such an atrocity.

"Oh no...Maria...Kiku," Elizaveta whispered sullenly, trying to blink past more tears.

Suddenly the earpiece in Euphrates's ear sparked to life, causing her jump, "Euphrates, are you there?" She put a finger to her lips and Gilbert nodded. "Yes, Eden?" the River answered.

"_Have you found the bounty hunter yet?"_

"Yes, I've captured him," Euphrates lied smoothly.

"_Good. Kill him and secure the suitcase. Then I need you to go to Area A and track down Honda_."

"Honda? Isn't he locked up?" Now she truly was surprised and confused.

"_He's escaped. So has the girl. Hiddekel's left his post for some reason and is headed to Area D. Do you happen to know why the hell he disobeyed orders_?" Eden was obviously irked by this point.

"No. But I'll find Honda right away," Euphrates said confidently. Without another word the earpiece switched off, indicating Eden was done for now. She exhaled and then relayed to Gilbert ad Elizaveta what she had learned.

"They're alive? That's...that's a miracle!" the Hungarian girl exclaimed with relief.

"I'm not sure how," Euphrates replied distractedly. She was more concerned with why Hiddekel decided to go haywire all of a sudden. She recalled their previous conversation in which he had expressed his doubts about being a River. Could he have had a change of heart like she did?

"So they're in Area A right now?" Gilbert asked and when Euphrates nodded, he said, "Then we need to get there right away. He'll need this suitcase. Are you with us, or are you against us?" The question was directed at the River as if he were asking for a simple fact. Euphrates nodded.

"I can show you the fastest way. Just try to keep up."

* * *

From the Author: Since I was evil last chap, I decided to be nice and solve some of those cliffhangers. Anyways, I'd love to hear your opinions about this chapter! Several different scruples in this one, so maybe one of them touched you. Yeah, I like my stories to be more than just simple entertainment! :)

**hetaliaforver123: **Thank! You seem to be a very dynamic reader, which is good! That's the best reading experience :)

**chibibeanie: **;) They will be in the next chapter just for you!

**NinjaRoll: **Your words are very much appreciated! All your reviews are like a big confidence boost :)

**Juusan13: **Nailed it! Wow, you're psychic or something! And thank you!

**Maximilliminute: **Thanks soo much! You don't know what that means to me! :') Thanks again!

Wow, you guys...are just too awesome! Everytime I get a review from one of you guys, I want to cry happy tears from your words! You're too kind, all of you!

Thanks for reading and please review! Until next chapter!


	16. Chapter 16: Brothers

Disclaimer: Hetalia does not belong to me.

Note: Okay, I just have to say, I really enjoyed typing up this chapter! So I hope you enjoy it too!

* * *

"Toris, I blame you for all of this," Feliks said matter-of-factly, as the two wandered the white, empty halls cluelessly.

"Me? How is this my fault?" Toris repudiated in exasperation. "You're the one who got distracted and ran off like that. If I hadn't followed you, you'd be on your own right now. Now we're both lost."

"Whatever, at least we still have Ona!" Feliks chortled as the dog yipped at the mention of her name.

"I hope there's an exit nearby..." Toris trailed off nervously. He had become quite fretful ever since they separated from Ludwig and Feliciano, but the only thing they could do was keep moving.

"Stop being such a worry wart," Feliks told him nonchalantly, "We can totally take these vampire-people and get out of here safe and sound. We have a Lithuanian hound and wicked cool fighting moves, so it's all good."

"Wicked cool fighting moves?" Toris echoed in disbelief. "Where exactly did you get those?"

"Seriously, Toris?" Feliks rolled his eyes, "Haven't you ever seen a Jackie Chan movie? All you have to do is act like him."

"For some reason, I don't think that'll work out very well," the Lithuanian mumbled disparagingly.

The two continued making their way around the laboratory aimlessly, Feliks leading the way blindly, Toris praying they would find an escape door, with Ona trotting along obediently. After a few minutes, Ona began to tense, and Toris was able to give her the command to stay quiet before she could growl. Toris cautiously peeked around the corner ahead of them, only to see two security guards posted in front of a large set of double doors with a giant black "X" across them.

"We should turn back before they notice us," Toris whispered urgently.

"What for? Didn't you hear anything I said earlier?" Feliks whispered back in protest. "We have a dog and Jackie Chan moves!"

"Please, Feliks, just listen to me for once!" Toris pleaded, but Feliks wouldn't hear of it. Pigheadedly, he strutted around the corner without any fear.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing down here?" one of the guards asked viciously, his hand going for his gun. The other guard drew his as well.

Wanting to kill Feliks for his stupidity, but knowing the guards would do that for him, Toris shouted, "Sick 'em Ona!" On command, the dog let out a fierce snarl, bounded after Feliks. Just as the guard was about to train his weapon the Pole, Feliks ducked just as Ona leapt over him and tackled the nearest guard. As the dog and the prey crashed to the ground, the other guard wasn't sure who to shoot at, Ona or Feliks. In his indecision, Feliks had the sense to smack the weapon right out of his hands. Instinctively, the guard started for his dropped gun, but then Feliks whipped out is "wicked fighting moves" and kicked him in the groin as hard as he could. As the guard doubled over, Toris came around the corner. The first guard was able to finally throw Ona off of himself and get to his feet, brandishing his gun, but Ona was able to recover quickly to protect her master. Growling, she lunged at the guard once more, sinking her teeth into the back of his shoulder. Her prey went ballistic, trying to shake her off, crying out in pain. In his frenzied attempts to get rid of Ona, he fired his weapon at random. Toris hit the floor fast to avoid being shot, and when Feliks ducked, one stray bullet found its target in the other guard's chest, and he toppled over.

Ona finally let go of the man's shoulder, hitting the floor with a thud. The man straightened up at pointed his gun from Toris to Feliks frantically. "Hands above your heads! Now!" he demanded. With no other choice, they obeyed. But when the guard turned his gun to Ona, clearly going to shoot her, Toris snapped. He football-tackled the man just as he pulled the trigger, throwing his aim off just enough to miss Ona by an inch. The weapon skidded out of his hand as they tumbled on ground, but the guard was strong enough to push Toris off and slam him into the wall. As Toris crumpled to the floor, Feliks put himself between his friend and the guard before he could land another blow on the Lithuanian.

The guard cocked his arm back to throw a strong punch, but before he had the chance, Feliks pulled out a thin can from his jacket pocket, and sprayed its contents into the man's eyes. The guard cursed as his hands immediately went to his eyes. Feliks then dove for the dropped gun that was only a few feet away. Swiftly, he got to his feet and struck the guard on the back on his skull with the butt on the gun, rendering him unconscious. The Pole bent down to retrieve the guard's key card, then went over to give Toris a hand.

"See? I told you there was like, nothing to worry about," he grinned ridiculously.

"What? We almost got shot! That's definitely something to worry about," Toris said as he got up. Ona was also getting to her paws, but with a slight limp.

"You should have seen the look on your face when he pointed the gun at you! It was hilarious!" Feliks guffawed, making Toris sigh in the realization that nothing could get to him.

"Anyways, let's just get out of here," Toris said, beginning to head forward, but Feliks stopped him.

"Wait! Don't you want to see what's behind these cool double doors?" he insisted, walking up to the lock and inserting the key card. The lock screen flashed green and the double doors rumbled as they slid open, revealing a small circular room with numerous panels of monitors and buttons.

"It's like a security room," Toris murmured as they stepped inside. The double doors closed behind them. The two took a closer look at the many screen and controls while Ona licked her leg.

"How come no one's like, in here then?"

Toris examined some of the monitors that seemed to be giving live feedback from the security cameras they were connected to. The screen in the middle, however, read "Mobile System Engaged."

"Maybe that's why no one's here? Because they're using the Mobile System instead?" Toris suggested.

"Look at that screen!" Feliks pointed to one in the top left corner. It showed one of the laboratory's many testing rooms, but there were no scientists in it. Instead, Feliciano, Ludwig, Antonio, and Lovino were occupying it, Feliciano tending to his brother's wounds as well as Antonio's.

"Lovino and Antonio don't look so good..." Toris frowned anxiously. "They must've gotten into a fight with one of those River people."

"River people?" Feliks repeated, confused.

Toris glanced over at him and sighed. "I mean vampire people."

"Oooh, that would make a lot more sense," he nodded.

"That screen, there in the bottom left corner," Toris pointed, indicating a screen that displayed a fight between a long, blonde-haired girl with knives, and another girl with a pan and a white-haired man with red eyes.

"Who are they?" the Pole tilted his head to the side.

"I don't know...the blonde is pretty though," Toris speculated. "But she looks mean."

"Oh no," Feliks whispered in horror, staring at a different screen.

The fact that Feliks was actually being serious was enough to startle Toris, but when he followed his friend's gaze to a screen on the other side, his own eyes widened as well.

"We still aren't getting the evidence we need," Arthur sighed. They had been going from room to room in Area B, searching for anything that could prove Teramist's atrocities, but so far the sector had been empty.

"Eden sure has a weird way of running this place," Francis grumbled. "What's the point of a big laboratory if you're not going to use half of it?"

"Well, Kiku said they'd be expecting us...so she probably evacuated most of the sectors," Matthew said thoughtfully.

"Maybe we should go to a different sector then," Alfred suggested, "Because so far, this has been boring."

Arthur rolled his eyes. Only Alfred would consider a situation like this boring. But he did have a point. "I guess it would be more productive to go to Area A. That's where Kiku, Gilbert and Elizaveta went, right? We should go after them."

Alfred opened his mouth to say something, but instead, was cut off by a blood-curling scream resounding throughout the halls. Francis paled at the ear-piercing sound, and without another moment's hesitation, he took off in the direction of the scream. "Francis, wait!" Arthur called, but he didn't listen. Then Alfred ran after him, and Arthur and Matthew exchanged looks before they did too.

Francis didn't stop, but dashed as fast as he could until he reached the door to the room where the scream came from. But it door was locked shut. He banged and banged on the door in vain, trying desperately to get inside. Seconds later Alfred caught up with him, and helped him try to pry the door open, but with no success. Seeing the keypad, Alfred drew his pistol and shot at it. The keypad sparked, then shut down, and the automatic door flew open, and Francis and Alfred rushed inside just as Matthew and Arthur reached them.

There was Pison, standing over Laura's listless body, bruised and broken. "L-Laura!" Francis cried, his voice filled with agony and terror. His sister's hollow eyes flickered to him, and a single tear rolled down her cheek.

"Well, well, well, who do we have here?" Pison leered in amusement. "Do you know Ms. Laura, too? I'm afraid we're busy at the moment."

"_Saluad!_" Francis shouted in a mix of horror and fury. "Get away from her!" He took a step towards her, but Pison stepped in his way menacingly.

"Aw, but I'm not through with her yet," the River sneered back haughtily. "But if you'd rather play instead, I can finish Laura after I finish you."

"You bastard," Alfred growled irately, "What kind of monster are you?!"

"The greatest one you'll ever see!" Pison laughed maniacally, entertained by their sickened and alarmed stares. "And the last one you'll ever see!"

"Murderer!" Arthur cried as he gazed down upon Laura's mangled form. Her body had taken tremendous damage, he could tell, and she would not last long if she didn't get emergency medical attention right away. Instantly he withdrew his gun from its holster and trained it on the River. "Back away from Laura right now! Hands on your head!"

"Do you really think a little toy like that is going to kill me? You must be stupider than you look," he sniggered arrogantly, not moving from his spot.

Arthur had been to a shooting range once or twice before, but he had never shot a gun at a person in his life. He wasn't sure he had it in him to do it, but luckily, he wasn't the only one with a gun. Alfred, full of rage and fury at the horrendous sight before him, whipped out his pistol and without another thought fired it at the River. Even though Pison didn't anticipate the shot, he had quick enough reflexes to shift out of the way just in time.

"Well isn't someone a trigger-happy pissant," the River growled. "But that's fine by me. It'll be more fun this way!"

"Francis, you take care of your sister, we'll handle this bastard," Alfred growled, his glare never leaving their foe. Without wasting another moment or even checking to see if Francis agreed, Alfred fired two more bullets at Pison. But as a River, Pison easily evaded his shots, then launched himself at the American, tackling him into the ground. The two rolled on the ground, Alfred pushing his strength to the limit trying hold Pison's hands from latching onto his throat. Meanwhile, both Francis and Matthew rushed to where Laura's motionless form lay crumpled on the ground. Blood was trickling down the corners of her mouth, her breaths were shallow and faint, her vacant eyes reflected a soulless consciousness. Rips and tears riddled her coat and pants, while black and purple bruises and bleeding cuts covered her exposed skin. Her left leg was bent at a gruesome angle, definitely broken, while her hands were covered in her own blood. A puddle of scarlet was beginning to form around her. Francis and Matthew had no idea what to do to help her, no idea which wound to attend to first, no idea how to save her life. "Laura, _Laura_! Please don't be dead! Say something to me!" Francis cried frenetically. Her dazed eyes were slow to respond, but they did rest their gaze on her brother.

"Francis...you're here..." she finally whispered in a coarse, scratchy voice, another tear escaping her eye. Laura stared at him in incredulity. Normally, her first thoughts would have been frantic, wondering how the hell he found her in Teramist, how he came down here of all places, but after Pison had destroyed her body, such complex thoughts couldn't reach the surface of her mind. In fact, all her thoughts were fragmented, due to the damage taken to her head. But she did know that this was her beloved brother, the one she'd grown up with, who'd always been there for her. And he was again, here for her.

"Laura, oh thank God you're still alive," her brother murmured to her in a gentle voice, but he was struggling to restrain his own tears. "It's going to be okay now. We're going to get you out of here!"

Matthew had shed his outer jacket in order to try to stop some of the bleeding from her midsection, but he was afraid it was no use. He looked up nervously to glimpse the fight, hoping Alfred and Arthur were alright.

When Alfred and Pison had hit the ground tumbling, Arthur attempted to shoot Pison while his back was to him, but Pison heard the bang, giving him just enough time to leap out of the way. The bullet whizzed by Alfred's ear and created a crater in the floor by his head. "Dude! That almost killed me!" Alfred gawked, scrambling to his feet.

"S-sorry, you two were too close!" Arthur spluttered. The incident made him wary of using the gun again in such a small room. The bullet could easily ricochet off something and lodge itself in one of his friends. But if he couldn't use the gun, how was he going to beat this guy?

"You think you have a chance of defeating me? I'll break both your necks!" Pison snarled before again pouncing at Arthur, who dove out of the way at the last moment. The River crashed into the glass cabinet that was behind Arthur, but he regained his footing heedlessly, unscathed. This time, he attacked Alfred, who decided he would accept this challenge. The two engaged in hand-to-hand combat, Pison lashing out with his paranormal reflexes as Alfred kept his fists balled as if he were in a boxing match, dodging as many hits as he could. Whenever Pison did land a blow, Alfred did his best to endure it, though Pison slammed his fists into his body unbearably hard and forceful. Arthur, knowing he could not use the gun with the two encircling each other so tightly, tried to help him by entering the fray himself, and throwing his own punches.

Arthur, as a reporter for a living, had never been in a real fist fight before, especially with an opponent so skilled and swift, but he had witnessed them before while looking for stories to write. Of course from watching a couple close combat skirmishes, he knew how to punch and kick and even block, but observing and actually doing it were two completely different things.

Both Arthur and Alfred assailed the River simultaneously, but he was fast enough to take them both on. Pison avoided all their blows with ease, as if he were dance around them playfully, an haughty leer on his face. Alfred realized what he was trying to do, that Pison planned to tire them out and then deliver the final blow, but the American didn't know how to stop him. _I have to end this quickly_, he thought to himself, biting his lip. Then, what Arthur considered to be so stupidly rash, Alfred threw himself at his opponent, aiming to strike his temple and knock him out. The grin on Pison's lips grew bigger. Without breaking a sweat, the River parried Alfred's wrist and then grabbed it. In one fluid motion, he used Alfred's weight and momentum against him, heaving him over his shoulder and hurling him across the room. The American crashed into one of the counters, sending various vials and flasks shattering to the ground. Alfred slumped on the floor limply.

"A-Alfred!" Arthur cried, panic making his throat dry and his heart pound behind his rib cage. Realizing that now Pison was standing there by himself, Arthur drew the gun from its holster. Pison took a step towards Alfred, with the intent of crushing his skull, but Arthur acted quickly, shooting twice. Surprised, Pison, who had forgotten all about the Brit, whirled around, dodging one of the bullets, but the second caught him in the shoulder.

However, the bullet didn't do much harm, nor did it do anything to slow him down. "You insolent little pissant! You'll pay for that!" Pison roared in outrage. As the River advanced towards him menacingly, Arthur braced himself and tensed, knowing he had to fend for himself long enough for Alfred to recover.

"It'd going to be alright, I promise, just keep your eyes open," Francis said, trying to reassure his sister, whose head lay on his lap. Her breathes were growing raspier, and fainter. He looked up at Matthew with frenzied eyes. "We need to get her out of here, now! She needs medical attention."

Matthew glances around quickly, and to his dismay, the only exit was on the other of side the fight between Pison and Arthur. He looked back down at Laura. "You're right, but she's in no condition to move..."

"Francis..." Laura mumbled weakly. "Please..."

"Laura, it's going to be okay! Keep your eyes open!" he told her again, seeing her eyelids droop. There was a large gash running from her forehead down to her jaw line on her left cheek, and no doubt she had taken several strikes to the head, making Francis worry she was going to slip into a coma...or never wake up again.

But what Francis could not know was that Laura had suffered critical injuries within her torso. Several of her ribs were broken clean through, digging into her lungs that were on the verge of collapsing. Breathing was extremely difficult for Laura, and she knew that she could not sustain her injuries and live for much longer. Lightheaded from the loss of blood, using all her willpower to utter her words and complete her thoughts through the unending pain, she murmured, "Francis, listen...stop them...stop Teramist...for me."

Now Francis couldn't stop the tears from streaming down his face. "Laura..." he choked.

"Please, Francis..." Laura used the last reserves of her strength to softly grip his hand for assurance, meeting his eyes with hers.

"I-I'll try, for you," he whispered, holding back sobs.

"Thank you," Laura murmured back, her eyelids heavy, "I never told you this before, but...you're my favorite brother."

Francis did his best to force his lips into a smile for her sake, "I'm you're only brother."

A small smile passed over Laura's lips before she whispered, almost inaudibly, "_Je t'aime_." When her hand went slack, her breathing stopped completely.

"_ Je t'aime, _Laura," Francis whispered back softly. As he closed her eyes for good, he began to weep uncontrollably. "_Laura_!" A horrible sense of failure and grief came over him as he cried her name.

Francis's outcry was enough to get Pison's attention, and he stopped assailing Arthur, who took a couple steps back, breathing hard. "Aww, did she die already? How disappointing. I hoped she'd live long enough to see your deaths first. Oh well," Pison shrugged indifferently.

"Laura, no!" Arthur said, appalled by Pison's apathetic, cruel demeanor.

"You son-of-a-bitch...you killed her," Alfred growled as he picked himself off the floor. After hearing Francis's despairing cry, he was able to pull himself together in anger and rage. "You'll go to Hell for this...and I'll make sure you get there!"

Alfred's reaction frightened Matthew, to tell the truth, but it was the first time any of them had witnessed a death as harsh and bloody as Laura's. Matthew was just a shocked by her death as the rest of them; he almost couldn't comprehend that the girl that lay before him was already dead.

"Will you now?" Pison laughed at Alfred's words. "I think we've already established that there's no way you can beat me. In fact..." The River glanced at the four of them individually before finishing, "I think it's time you all were taught a lesson. Didn't anyone ever tell you to respect your superiors? You ought to be bowing down before me. Then maybe I'd consider sparing your lives."

"I'd rather die," Alfred spat in disgust and rancor.

Pison chuckled. "That's fine by me. All the more fun!" He took another quick glance around the room as Arthur drew his gun once more. Suddenly, a sinister, ominous grin spread over the River's face, as if he just thought of a brilliant idea that pleased him. Without warning, he moved with incredible speed, so fast he was just a blur, and instant later Alfred realized what he was doing. It was an instant too late.

The next thing Arthur knew, there was Pison, standing before Arthur and Alfred, and in his strong grip was Matthew, struggling to pull Pison's arm from his neck. One of the River's arm held Matthew's head in a tight hold, while his other hand gripped the side of his head, as if he was about to break his neck.

"Matthew!" Alfred cried involuntarily, eyes wide with horror.

"This is your brother isn't it?" Pison leered, "I almost overlooked him, but you two bear such a striking resemblance, don't you?" His arm tightened around his captive's neck, causing Matthew to clench his jaw.

"No! Don't hurt him! Please!" Alfred pleaded, his previous fury replaced by desperation and fear for his brother. "I'll do anything!" His fists her shaking at his sides.

"Anything?" The River snickered forebodingly.

"Al, don't!" Matthew shouted as best he could. His brother had always had this crazy obsession with being the "hero" and everything, and normally Matthew would just brush it off, knowing it was just an ideal notion, but now, he didn't want Alfred to try to be his hero. Not if it would cost him his life. Matthew wanted him to be anything but the hero right now.

Pison's gaze settled on Arthur, who still had his gun in his hand, but it wasn't aimed. "How about you, would you do anything?" he asked curiously.

Arthur blinked, surprised, and hesitated. But he nodded, "Anything."

An evil laughter escaped Pison's lips. "Okay, prove it. If you shoot him" -he nodded towards Alfred-"then, I'll let this one walk away with his life."

Matthew gasped, and Alfred too inhaled sharply, but Arthur was paralyzed with shock. "W-what?" he stammered, his eyes growing small.

"You heard me," Pison smirked, "It's your choice who gets to die. Either you shoot your friend with the bomber jacket over here, or I snap this one's neck. It's entirely up to you." The insouciance in his voice was just so _wrong_, so twisted, that it brought out anger in the Brit, who was able to speak steadily again.

"How do I know you aren't lying? That you'll just kill Matthew anyway?" Arthur demanded, finally gathering his wits about him.

"I solemnly swear," Pison said with a serious expression. But then his sneer quickly returned, "But you don't have much of a choice but to trust me, now do you?"

Arthur bit his lip. What was he supposed to do now? He couldn't shoot Alfred! But he couldn't let Matthew die either! And if he made any sudden moves to free him, Pison wouldn't hesitate to break his neck.

"Artie, just do it, just shoot," Alfred said in a low, but unwavering voice. His blue eyes were unreadable, even as he stared into Arthur's green ones.

"What? No! I-I can't just..." He was almost hysterical all of a sudden. Alfred wanted him to take his life? Did he really expect Arthur to just go along with it?

"No, Arthur, don't shoot!" Matthew cried, and this time Pison made no move to keep him quiet. The River was absolutely relishing in their dramatic predicament.

"_Shut up_, Matthew! Just let me handle this!" Alfred snapped harshly, as if he were incredibly angry with him.

"You shut up!" Matthew shouted back, trying to break himself free from the River's grasp, but Pison was too inhumanly strong. "Don't be stupid, Al! Don't try to be the hero this time! Heroes don't exist, so don't try to be one!"

"I'm not doing this to be your hero! I'm doing this because I'm your brother!" Then Alfred turned to Arthur again. "Please, Artie, just let me protect my little brother."

The Briton helplessly looked to Francis, who had just stood up from Laura's side. They locked eyes for a moment, and Francis said softly, "Alfred has the chance to save his little sibling...something I would've given anything to have..."

Arthur knew that meant that Francis sided with Alfred this time, and suddenly his hands, still holding the gun, began to shake.

"You have ten seconds to shoot," Pison announced, "before I snap his neck." Then he began to count down, grinning as he did so. "Ten."

Arthur took a shaky breath.

"Nine."

Hands still trembling, he raised his gun and trained it on Alfred's forehead.

"Eight."

"No, Arthur! Please don't!" Matthew cried out.

"Seven."

Arthur grinded his teeth, trying to ignore Matthew's voice. His finger rested on the trigger, but he did not pull it yet.

"Six."

A slight grin appeared on Alfred's lips, trying to reassure Arthur that he was doing the right thing, that this is what he wanted, but Arthur knew his cousin too well. It was fake.

"Five."

They were only ten feet apart. It would be impossible for his to miss.

"Four."

Pison's counting seemed to slow down in pace, or perhaps Arthur was just imagining that it did. Was this the right thing to do? Alfred wanted it this way rather than the other way, right? If Arthur had had a younger brother, he'd do anything to protect him too, that much he knew. But then...the closest thing he had ever had to a younger brother was, perhaps, Alfred, wasn't it?

"Three."

The spurious grin was still on Alfred's face, but there was alarm in his eyes. He was worried that Arthur would chicken out and cost Matthew his life. And suddenly Arthur was so overwhelmingly furious. Why should any of them have to lose their lives? Were they all just Pison's sick form of entertainment? Surely, they were more than that. He just needed...something, for there must be some way he could save them both.

"Two."

_Please, somebody, anybody, help us_, he prayed, or rather pleaded, in his head desperately, _It can't end like this! _But perhaps it was too late for that.

"One."

* * *

From the Author: I'm evil. And twisted. I know. This chapter makes it fact.

Surprised? Cause it almost suprised me in a way ;)

**Tsuruya-san88: ***bows* Thank you very much! I try :)

**hetaliaforever123: **Yay! I was hoping I could pull off such a dramatic scene! Well, you got to see Al and others here :D

**Juusan13: **Lecture away if you want! I totally appreciate the tips actually, it's good for writers. Here's another cliffhanger for ya ;) Thanks so much!

I just want to thank everyone who's favorited, followed, reviewed and even just read this story! I appreciate you all taking the time to read my little fanfic here, so thanks and until next chapter!


	17. Chapter 17: Flickering Lights

Disclaimer" Hetalia! Yet another thing I don't own.

Note: 80 reviews~ that's just so amazing, it makes me teary-eyed! When I first started writing I thought it would be an accomplishment to break 40 reviews, but to double that? Wow you guys just rock so much! :D As thanks, I'll wrap up that cliffhanger for you...enjoy!

* * *

"Oh my God!" Feliks cried, practically shouting at the screen, "Laura, no!" His eyes were wide and his whole body was trembling in a mixture of shock, grief, and even a bit of anger. Toris had never seen his friend like this, not once in their entire friendship, and so his reaction to the video playing live feedback was astonishing and a little frightening, to be honest. But even Toris, who didn't have the slightest connection to the people fighting in the screen, other than that they were against Teramist, was appalled and horrified at what he was watching. A girl had just been beaten to death by one of those Rivers, and had died before her friends' eyes!

"D-did you know her?" Toris whispered in a shaky voice. Death...murder...Toris knew he wasn't ready for this. He knew that he should probably look away from the screen before he puked or passed out or something, but he couldn't tear his gaze away.

"Yeah..." Feliks answered, balling his fists furiously, trying to make sense of the terrible emotions boiling deep inside himself. He wasn't one for tragedy, but this was real life, and there was no escaping reality this time. Why did Laura have to die? She was...so nice to him when they were locked up. She was patient and sympathetic...she didn't _deserve_ to die! It just wasn't _fair_! "Laura..." He bit his lip and rubbed his eyes.

"Feliks, look!" Toris pointed back to the screen. The Pole did, and again he was hit with a pang of alarm and apprehension that sickened his stomach. The evil River had capture one of the ones who was trying to save Laura, and he appeared as if he was going to snap his neck. Feliks gasped involuntarily, and Toris put his hands to his mouth in anxiety. Some words were exchanged between the River and the friends of the hostage, and one of them, one with green eyes and blonde hair, raised his gun against _one of his own allies_. "What-what's going on? Why is he aiming at his friend and not the River?" Toris exclaimed, quaking uncontrollably.

"That asshole is like, totally forcing him to do it!" Feliks gritted his teeth, outraged. "We have to help them!"

"But how? We're over here and they're over there! We'd never make it in time!" Toris shook his head in dismay. But Feliks wasn't ready to give up just yet. He was hell-bent on avenging Laura, and he was totally going to _fuck some shit up _now because no one gets away with murdering one of his friends! He glanced around the security room, eyes rapidly searching for something that could be of use to him. But the room was almost empty, except for the multiple screens and the generator in corner...the generator!

"There!" Feliks said as he dashed to the large metal box connected to the wall of the room. He was all his might to pry the lid off the side, revealing bundles of interwoven cords and wires linked to various plugs. "This is what powers the place, right? I can't believe I totally missed it before!"

"I thinks that's generates Teramist's electricity...but how can that help us?" Toris questioned worriedly, looking back at the screen.

"I'm not sure, but like, it's the only thing I can think of," Feliks called back. "So let's totally mess this place up!" he shouted as he ripped a handful of wires right out of the box, yanking as hard as he could. The wires eventually tore out of their plugs or split in two. Then Feliks did it again, and again, tearing cords that sparked as they came out of place, and by this point, Ona decided to help out. Using her sharp canine teeth she too ripped whole bundles out of the generator.

And suddenly the lights began to flicker. Some of the screen went fuzzy and then shut off.

"It's working!" Feliks yelled triumphantly, doubling his efforts to destroy the generator. Ona started to claw into the big machine, removing whole chunks of metal.

The lights went out completely, rendering the room pitch-black.

* * *

Eden was heatedly darting through the halls of her laboratory, easily passing through Area C and making her way across Area B. Soon enough she'd reach the main sector, Area A, and find that impudent upstart Honda. She was already running through possible ways to terminate him. Several different options that pleased her, all excruciatingly agonizing. Of course all of the scenarios involved murdering his beloved little girl while he watched helplessly, only this time she would make absolutely sure that the girl was dead. Perhaps she could use her enhanced strength to slowly crush the girl's skull while Pison or Gihon held Honda down. Or perhaps-

Her thoughts were scattered as the lights illuminating the hall flickered weakly, and after a moment turned off, leaving the underground laboratory in utter darkness. It was so dark, Eden couldn't see her own hand, and Eden huffed, annoyed at the system failure. She was so sure she had installed the most effective electricity system! "That's what I get for trusting someone else's technology," she muttered grudgingly, taking out her tablet that ran on its own battery. After she made a mental note to designing her own generator as soon as everything was taken care of, she clicked to voice command on the touch screen, and said clearly, "Activate emergency back-up generator from Area A." In response, a pop-up message informed her, "Command accepted," and a moment later, the lights came back on.

"Hopefully this generator will last long enough for me to kill Honda first," Eden chuckled before she took off down the hall again.

* * *

Alfred was going to die at Arthur's hand. He knew it, and he actually accepted it. If it meant saving Matthew's life, then it was worth it. Alfred would sacrifice his life multiple times for his brother if that was possible. Besides, this way, Arthur could ensure that his death was quick and painless. He smiled to reassure Arthur that this was what he wanted, but still his cousin didn't shoot. Pison continued to count down, and yet Arthur was hesitating. What if Arthur didn't have what it takes to do it? But as Pison reached "two," Arthur's expression hardened, and Alfred knew that it was frustration, but all his doubts left him. Arthur wouldn't let Matthew die, he would shoot, but Alfred also knew that Arthur wouldn't give up until he had avenged both himself and Laura. He just wished he'd still be alive to help his cousin do just that.

Time seemed to pass in slow motion. Suddenly Alfred realized that he didn't want to die like this. He realized that his death would haunt Matthew and Arthur for the rest of their lives, however long that may be. And there was still so much Alfred had yet to do! He couldn't die yet! But how was he going to get out of this alive and save Matthew at the same time? It was impossible.

What he needed was a miracle.

"One."

And a miracle was what he got.

Just as Pison had finished saying "one," many things happened at once. Out of nowhere, the lights flickered, momentarily startling everyone and confusing Pison. And when the lights went out completely, Alfred didn't waste his gift of opportunity. It was too dark to see anything, but Alfred knew exactly what direction Pison and Matthew were in, and with nothing else to do, Alfred launched himself that way.

He crashed into both Matthew and Pison, and all three of them tumbled to the ground. Knowing that the less burly one had to be his brother, Alfred grabbed Matthew's arm and pushed him out of harm's way quickly. Then he could hear the River trying to get back on his feet, but Alfred didn't let him. He grabbed hold of one of his legs and pulled it towards himself, sending the River slamming onto the tiled floor with a distinct _thud_. Guessing where his face was, the American blindly threw a punch, and luckily nailed him on the cheek bone. "You worthless piece of shit!" Pison snarled in irritation. "I'll beat you ten times harder than I did Laura!"

"You have no right to say her name, you bastard!" Alfred roared back, throwing another punch just as the lights came back on. Pison, now able to see, caught his fist in his own hand, and threw Alfred off of him.

But Pison didn't realize the fatal mistake he had just made. As he hurled Alfred away from him, he gave Arthur a clear shot.

_BANG! BANG!_

Two bullets lodged themselves into Pison's chest as he was getting to his feet. His eyes widened in pure shock, but he still managed to stand up, clutching his chest. But then the River did something strange. He began feeling around his neck, until his grasp found the metallic chain that hung around his neck. Everyone else was taken by so surprised that they just watched, puzzled by his actions. But then Pison revealed the bright red, cylindrical vial that was hidden underneath his shirt.

"That's the Antidote!" Matthew cried in realization as Pison uncorked it. "Don't let him drink it!"

Shaken into action by Matthew's words, Arthur pulled the trigger once more just as Pison was bringing the vial to his lips. This last bullet ripped through the air, shattering the glass vial upon impact, its bright red contents splattering to the floor, and then the bullet continued forward until it met his brain. Pison fell over almost instantly. Dead.

Arthur dropped the gun, which clattered as it hit the floor, and then fell to his knees, breathing hard. "Oh God...it's finally over..."

"Al, are you alright?" Matthew asked in concern, helping his brother to his feet.

"Yeah, and you?" Alfred asked back as the two went over to Arthur, carefully avoiding the River's body. Matthew nodded, and then knelt by his cousin.

"I'm fine," Arthur said, taking a deep breath as he stared down at his hands. "It's just...I've never killed anyone before..."

"It had to be done," Alfred reassured confidently. Arthur nodded, then stood up with Matthew after picking up his gun and putting it back in its holster. The three stood behind Francis, who was kneeling by his sister's side. He had gone there as soon as he was sure the River was dead, using his own sleeve to wipe the blood from her mouth and brushing her hair out of her face. Now at least her face looked peaceful.

"I'll see you again, someday," he whispered in her ear before placing a soft kiss on her forehead. Then he stood up, and turned to face Arthur. "You need to get what you need to put Teramist down, right? So let's go."

Arthur nodded. "Of course. I'll make sure all of Teramist's secrets are revealed. I'm a reporter, after all."

* * *

Jaidee had finally reach Area D. Now he just had to free the captives and get them to safety, but he honestly didn't know where to start. He knew that many of the cells were actually unoccupied, and the ones that were occupied were placed at random, ensuring that a prison break down here would take long enough for a River to arrive and put it down. He also wondered how much time he had left before Eden found out about his infidelity. That is, if she didn't already know.

Suddenly, the lights above him flicked, momentarily derailing his train of thought. And then there was nothing but darkness for a few moments, before the lights randomly lit up again. He wondered what just happened, but then shook his head. The laboratory was underground after all, so the electricity system wasn't one hundred percent reliable. Dismissing the brief blackout, he went back to his mission.

He knew that certain cells were definitely occupied because he was the one who threw its prisoners in there in the first place, and so he knew there was one at the very end of the hall, and decided that was a good place to start and then he could work his way down and on to the next hall. It would be time-consuming, but it ensured that he didn't miss somebody. So he proceeded down the hall until he came to the door of the very first cell. He reached into his pocket for his key card, but then he realized that he had given it to the Chinese man he had run into earlier. Jaidee sighed. It would have been easier to just use a key card, but brute force was doable too. He rammed his knuckles into the card slot, which sparked before malfunctioning. The door slid open, and Jaidee did his best to put on a warm smile as he peered inside.

Apparently it wasn't very convincing, because the captive just held her breath and backed into the wall at the sight of him. Jaidee remembered catching her off the streets as Hiddekel, and didn't blame her for being scared. She was about his age (or the age that he appeared to be, which was around his early twenties) with long, deep brown hair tied into pigtails adorned with red ribbons. She wore the same thing that she had been wearing for a while now, ever since she had been taken, which was a vibrant

blue dress and white sandals. But in a matter of seconds she wore a different expression.

"You-you stay away from me!" she shouted at him defiantly, though her voice wavered.

"It's okay, miss," Jaidee said slowly, putting his hands up to show he had no evil intentions. "I'm going to get you out of here."

"You're lying! You're trying to trick me," she shook her head, pursing her lips.

"I swear I'm not," Jaidee tried again, his own voice sincere.

"You were the one who put me in here! So why should I trust you?" The girl narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously, crossing her arms over her chest.

Jaidee frowned. It was almost exactly like what the Korean had yelled at him earlier. And they were both right, they had no reason to trust an ex-River. "Alright, fine, you don't have to trust me. I'm going leave and go free the others, and you can chose whether or not you want to follow me. If you don't, I wish you luck trying to find an open exit." With that, he walked right out of the room, leaving the girl gawking at the doorframe.

Still skeptical, she tentatively exited her chamber, staring after Jaidee who was walking away down the hall. Of course, Jaidee could have always dashed away, and that would've been faster, but he wanted to give her a chance to follow him. Finally, she realized that he was right, that she'd have no hope of finding an exit without him. But she wasn't ready to trust him yet. So she decided to follow at a relatively safe distance, about twenty feet behind him. When Jaidee glanced back, she looked away quickly, but he was alright with that, as long as she was following him.

When he came across the next chamber, he repeated the previous process and punched the card slot for the door to slid open. He looked inside hopefully, but it was empty. So he moved on the next one and did the same, but again the room was vacant. However, by this point, the girl was only trailing a few feet behind him, regarding him carefully.

"If what you're saying is true," she spoke up suddenly as they walked down the hall, "then tell me why you're doing this."

"...I guess I've had a change of heart," he replied thoughtfully, remembering his conversation with Maria and Kiku.

"Just like that?" she inquired incredulously.

"It's complicated," he shrugged. "I'm done working for Teramist. I realized it was time I stopped buying those lies they were feeding me."

"Well, I think you at least owe me an apology for getting me into this mess," the girl scoffed.

Jaidee blinked. Apology? The thought had never crossed his mind, but he didn't disagree with her. "I'm sorry," he told her sincerely. "For kidnapping and endangering you."

"Hmm, I'll think about accepting that one, but in the meantime, my name's Michelle," she introduced herself.

He stopped and turned to face her, realizing that this was probably the proper way to greet her. "You can call me Jaidee, or just Jai, if you'd like." He held out his hand awkwardly, not really sure how else to introduce himself. It wasn't like he was making friends everyday or something. But to his relief, the girl did eventually shake it, if somewhat reluctantly.

"Okay, Jai, but just because I gave you my name doesn't mean I trust you," Michelle huffed, but she didn't seem too bitter, in Jaidee's opinion.

"I don't blame you. It wouldn't be very smart to trust me so easily," he nodded, offering a small smile. He really hoped he didn't come off too creepy. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her away again. The two moved on to the next room, which was, to his frustration, vacant yet again. He cursed silently to himself, but he didn't linger. Michelle could sense his increasing unease, and frowned, unsure what to say.

"So, why don't you tell me what exactly is going on here, I mean, what's this place up to and why are they kidnapping people?" she asked suddenly, out of genuine curiosity, but also trying to get him talking to take his mind off of the vacancies.

"I'm not sure you'd believe me if I told you," Jaidee replied.

"Try me."

Jaidee glanced over at her, now that she was walking right next to him. "Alright," he began, and then he explained to her the Antidote, and it's terrible ingredients, the four Rivers, and Eden herself. If he had told all of this to someone yesterday, his tone towards it would have been endearing or praising, but now it was full of regret and resentment.

"That's...that's insane," Michelle murmured in disbelief. "So what made you change your mind about all of this?"

In response, he quickly summed up the fiasco in New York, courtesy of Kiku, and how he and his girl Maria were able to make him see the true nature of Teramist. "I feel like I owe them a lot now," he said wistfully, "I hope they're doing alright."

"Yeah...but if they do succeed, what do you plan on doing then?" Michelle asked, sincerely interested.

"I never thought of that. I don't know really, I guess I'll figure it out after all this is over. To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if I wound up in jail for life for working with Teramist," he speculated.

"Jail? As in, you're going to turn yourself in?"

"Well no, I wouldn't go to the police station and tell them to lock me up, but if they arrested me, I wouldn't fight them."

"I don't think you deserve to go to jail." Her voice was gentle, but earnest, and this startled Jaidee.

"You-really?" he blinked, surprised. "You do realize how many people are dead because of me, right?"

"Yeah but you're different now. You want to save people. That's good enough for me. But once you leave all this behind, you won't have the Antidote anymore, right? You'll age again," she pointed out, curious to see his reaction.

A faint smile passed over Jaidee's lips. His conversation with Maria from when he captured her echoed in his head, _"In my opinion you're not much different from a human who's addicted to drugs. The Antidote's not much different from a drug." _

_"Except for I don't have an addiction. I can stop taking the Antidote whenever I want." _

_"But you won't ever want to stop taking it, that's the thing. Because if you do, you'll become an ordinary human." _

And Jaidee really did think he could stop taking the Antidote now. "Being an ordinary human wouldn't be too bad," he chuckled. Absentmindedly, his hand wandered to the base of his neck, where the vial of the Antidote hung on its chain. Silently, he promised himself that he would only use it for an absolute emergency, and not to prolong his life. And suddenly he remembered that his time was limited. Now that he got Michelle to trust him enough to follow, he needed to move faster. He turned to her, biting his lip, unsure how to phrase his question without seeming to have sinister motives. "Um, Michelle, we need to move much more quickly. Since I'm a River, or at least I used to be, I can carry you while running at top speed..." he trailed off, implying that she had to let him carry her if she wished to continue with him.

She hesitated, but then said, "F-fine." He smiled at her apologetically, before swooping her off her feet and holding her in his arms.

"Here we go," he told her, then bolted to the next room.

* * *

"So...how big do you think this sector actually is?" Maria wondered as she hurried alongside Kiku, who was cautious and a bit tense.

"I do not know," he frowned, "But since this is the main sector, we can expect to see some Teramist scientists at the least." His grip around the gun tightened. It was the same gun Eden had kicked to him, hoping he would use it to take Maria's life with his own hands, and then face his own death with the guilt of hers on his head. The pair made their way through the halls as quickly as they could without being careless and making excessive noise, always checking carefully around corners and intersections. "Perhaps we should have asked Jaidee to stay with us and show us the way," he sighed, wishing he had a map or something to give him directions.

"I'm glad he's helping the captives, though," Maria speculated, "Hopefully he'll be strong enough to break through one of the sealed entrances and get as many people out as possible."

"Hai. What you said back there, to him...well, it makes me proud to say that I love you," he gave her a shy smile, and Maria felt her own heart swell. She remembered exactly why she followed him across the Atlantic Ocean. Just little moments like these made Kiku a million times better than her money-grubbing ex.

"Thanks, Kiku, that means a lot," she beamed, but then her tone grew serious, "So what's the plan? You don't have the USB on you, do you?"

"Er, no," he bit his lip, "I gave it to Gilbert and Elizaveta before I got captured. I hope they're alright."

"Do you think they've found the main database yet?" she asked hopefully. Perhaps Gilbert and Elizaveta were able to pull through and complete the mission already.

"No, I don't think so, or something would've happened by now. My guess is that they've run into some trouble," Kiku gritted his teeth.

"Like one of the other Rivers," Maria shuddered. But the bounty hunter could handle himself, right? He had probably been in intense situations before, since that was his occupation. Her thoughts were interrupted, however, when the lights in the hall flickered. "What's that?" she asked, before the lights went out completely.

"Stay close to me," Kiku whispered, worried Eden was pulling some kind of trick on them. But his apprehension proved to be unnecessary when the lights turned on again after a few moments and nothing had happened.

"Huh," Maria said, looking around suspiciously, then putting her hands on her hips. "That was anti-climatic."

"You make it sound like we're in a book of something," Kiku chuckled as he continued to press forward.

"If we were, it would probably be fiction," Maria stated, keeping her guard up.

"You know, when we get out of here, we should go to dinner. I think I still owe you two hours worth of a nice date," Kiku smiled at her.

"Heck yeah you do," Maria laughed softly, "I think we should go to the Jade Dragon. I'm craving some of Yao's delicious cooking."

"Hai, that's a great idea," he agreed, already looking forward to it, and so was Maria.

Unfortunately, Maria had to break their light conversation when she pointed out a pair of double doors ahead of them. "That looks important...should we check it out?" Kiku nodded and stopped at the keypad. He didn't have his suitcase of security codes with him nor did he know any of the vital passwords on the top of his head. He would have rather not used the gun, for its gunshot would alert anyone nearby of their presence, but he could see no other option. After he shot it once, the keypad sparked, then shut down, allowing for the double doors to slide open. As they entered the room, which seemed to be where Teramist stored most of its records in numerous filing cabinets, they saw that there was someone already inside.

When the doors slid open, the scientist whirled around, grabbing a pistol that lay on one of the cabinets. As soon as Kiku saw him, he raised his own weapon, stepping in front of Maria protectively, but when he saw the scientist's face, his eyes widened in recognition.

The scientist wore an edgy scowl as he pointed the gun at the intruders, but his green eyes also narrowed at the familiar face of his target. But he did not back down nor did he say a word.

For a brief, tense moment, there was only silence, until the scientist spoke up, his voice a bit strained, "It's been a long time, hasn't it, Kiku?"

"Hai. It has," Kiku gritted his teeth, "You've changed."

"You know him?" Maria whispered anxiously.

"Hai, this is my old colleague, Vash Zwingli."

* * *

From the Author: Human name for Seychelles: Michelle. And human name for Switzerland: Vash Zwingli, in case you didn't know.

So what did you think? Everything falling in to place yet? Almost! I can't wait :)

Anyways, thanks so much for the 80 reviews again! My readers are so generous :D

**chibibeanie: **Yeah, sorry about that, but I changed it for future readers :) Thanks!

**hetaliaforever123: **Yay! I'm glad you like it that much, it means a lot to a writer like me :)

**Tsuruya-san88: **:D Thanks! At least I can say I did something right when it comes to character development!

**Watermelon-Lover853: **Mai is just Anh's little sis, so I guess she's an OC. And thank you so much! I try :)

**itgirl18: **I appreciate the review! I hope I didn't let you down!

All of your reviews just make my day, you know that? They totally make me want to keep writing! :D Until next chapter!


	18. Chapter 18: A Good Person

Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia. Period.

Note: Had some extra time this week, so you guys get an early update :) Enjoy!

* * *

**Six Years Ago (Maria: Age 14) **

Maria and Mai were lying on a blanket on a grassy hill behind the de la Cruz estate, watching the sunset. Mai absolutely loved the beautiful colors that streaked the sky at this time of day, and would often force Maria to stay out until after twilight, when all the mystifying hues turned dark. They did this almost every weekend since Mai had the idea in the sixth grade, and Maria had to admit it was one of her favorite things to look forward to every week. Each time they would talk about something different while they watched the sun go down, whether it be serious, or silly, or even wistful.

"Hey, Mai," Maria started, voice a little dreamy, "I have a question."

"Okay, shoot," Mai giggled, still staring up at the sky.

"What do you think makes someone a good person?" she asked, glancing over at her friend.

Mai paused, pondering the question. "Hmm...well, what do you think?"

"I don't really know, that's why I asked you," Maria said, returning her gaze upward.

"Well...I'd say someone was a good person as long as they were willing to protect their friends and family," Mai answered finally, satisfied with her own answer.

"That's your only condition?" Maria raised an eyebrow.

"I think if someone's willing to put everything on the line for someone they care about, then they can't be a bad person, right?"

"I guess that makes sense," Maria nodded, a small smile on her face. Sometimes she thought that Mai watched too many moralistic movies or read to many books, but then, that wasn't always a bad thing.

"I'd like to think that I'm a good person, by my own standards, at least," Mai laughed lightheartedly.

"Don't even worry about it Mai," Maria said, laughing along with her, "You're a good person, hands down!" Of course she thought Mai was a good person; there was no way she could look at her Vietnamese friend and see someone with selfish motives.

"Thanks, I think you're a good person too," Mai beamed, "But if nothing else, you're at least a fun friend to hang out with!"

"I could say the same. We have to keep in touch when we get older, alright? We can get together and show off our husbands and our kids or something," Maria giggled.

"I bet my kids are going to be better looking than yours," Mai sang, just teasing.

"As if," Maria joked back, "You know, I bet our kids are going to be best friends, just like us."

"And if they're not, we'll force them to hang out together," Mai winked. When their laughing finally died down a few moments later, the sun was already just about set. Maria and Mai watched in good spirits as the last orangey tinge in the sky began to fade into purple, truly believing that their futures would always be connected.

* * *

**Present **

"Vash, how much do you know about Teramist and Eden?" Kiku asked seriously. Both Vash and Kiku had their guns trained on the other, Kiku in front of Maria.

"I know a lot, actually," he answered evenly, "But I only think about what matters."

Suddenly, Maria remembered what Kiku had told her when she first learned about all this in the cafe, _Vash also agreed to join, but for different reasons. He never really said it outright, but Laura and I knew it was because of his sister, Lily, whose immune system was never perfect so she was constantly in the hospital. The cure-all had the potential to rid her of all sickness, if what Eden had told us was true._ So that's what he meant by "what matters." Vash worked for Teramist in the hope of obtaining a vial, one to cure his sister.

"If you know the truth about the Antidote, about all of Eden's experiments, then why are you still here? How can you continue to work for her?" Kiku exclaimed.

"Because," Vash repudiated, voice tense and stressed, "I have to think about Lily first! The Antidote is the only way for me to actually save her, for good!"

"Eden isn't planning on releasing the Antidote, and you know it! She's promised everyone a vial, but she's only given it to the Rivers. By now, you must see that," he said ardently, trying to get his old friend to see reason.

"No, if I believe what you say, then it's the same as giving up on Lily. Eden told me that I'm different from the other scientists, that I'll actually get a vial, when she trusts me completely," Vash argued. Maria clenched her jaw, knowing what that last statement meant. It meant that Vash could gain Eden's trust...by doing away with Kiku and herself.

"She's lying. She won't give it to you until she's made you a River. Is that really what you want? I always thought you were better than that, Vash, smarter than that," Kiku continued.

"She's not lying! She can't be!" Vash faltered for a moment, but then regained his hardened expression. "I'm sorry, Kiku, I didn't want to have to do this. Even if I did believe what you had to say, I can't turn on Eden now. She knows about Lily. If I don't do this...Eden might kill her."

This made Kiku stop and inhale sharply. Now what could he argue? Because if he was in Vash's condition...his actions might be no different. But he couldn't afford to let Vash stand in his way! And he wasn't going to let him hurt Maria, but he didn't want to fight his old friend either...

"Do you see now, Kiku? Only one of us can walk away from this alive. I'm sorry, but I have to protect Lily, at whatever cost!"

His words reminded Maria of what Mai had said that particular night under the sunset. Ever since Mai's death, Maria had sort of adopted Mai's one condition for a good person, in honor of her memory. But Vash had fulfilled that lone condition in his determination to protect Lily, so Maria couldn't bring herself to hate him, the one who was set to kill them. And she couldn't blame him either, but...why did it have to be this way? In truth, none of them could emerge from this without losing, because no matter how this ended, one of them would have to face the guilt of murdering a friend. And the only real winner was Eden. It always was, wasn't it?

How could Eden, practically the embodiment of injustice, prevail every single time? The thought made Maria overwhelmingly angry. It just wasn't _right_!

"It's not _fair_!" Maria burst out, startling both Kiku and Vash.

"Of course it's not fair!" Vash boiled, "But in case you haven't notice, life just isn't fair!"

"Can't you see? Eden is the only one who can ever win, and it's because we're letting her play us right into her trap!" Maria seethed, hatred bubbling deep inside her.

"You think that we don't know that? We both know that," Vash shook his head in frustration, "But there's nothing we can do about it."

"You're wrong. We don't have to be Eden's pawns. Don't you see that this is what she wants us to do? To turn on each other? And you're just going to go along with it? What would your _sister_ say?" Maria demanded zealously.

The mention of his sister shocked Vash, and he was speechless for a moment. What _would_ his sister say?

Seeing his hesitation, Maria continued, "If your sister knew about any of this, do you think she'd be at all proud? Do you think that's what she'd want? If you're her big brother, you're supposed to be the one she looks up to."

The gravity of her words bore down on Vash. She was right, Lily would never want this. He could just imagine the look of utter disappointment and shame on her face if she ever found out that this whole time he was working for a company that took people's lives for their own selfish needs. Lily did look up to him, but if she knew the truth, would she ever want to call him "big brother" ever again?

"Vash...we can stop Teramist. It's possible, and even more so with your help. If we can put an end to Teramist and Eden, you won't have to worry about Lily," Kiku told him gently.

"But the Antidote..." Vash muttered, torn in indecision.

"Do you think she would drink it if she knew its ingredients?" Kiku said softly.

For a moment, there was only silence. Then Vash slowly lowered his pistol, taking a shaky breath. Kiku gave a small smile, and lowered his as well.

"Damn, Kiku, when I told you to have your own opinions, I never thought they'd be so...extreme," Vash sighed.

"So then, you'll set us go?" Maria asked hopefully.

"Let you go?" Vash echoed, "I might as well show you the way."

"You..don't have to," Kiku finally said, "Eden does not have to know that we ran into each other. It may keep your sister safer."

"I'm starting to think Lily won't ever be safe as long as Eden knows about her," Vash gritted his teeth.

"Then I guess we'll have to hit her so hard she won't even remember who Lily is," Maria smirked.

At this, Vash cracked the slightest smile. "I like the way you think. C'mon, let's get going then. The main database isn't too far from here."

* * *

"Another empty room!" Jaidee muttered in irritation. He had set Michelle down to destroy the card slot, but again his efforts were in vain.

"Why are all of them empty?" she wondered out loud.

"Eden must have just created a new batch of the Antidote or something. You were lucky you weren't killed yet," Jaidee mumbled.

Michelle shuddered, "I have never been so grateful to have blood still inside of me."

"Let's try the next hall," Jaidee suggested, though he didn't seem too optimistic. Michelle nodded, and the ex-River picked her up again. But as they turned into the next hall, Jaidee came to a sudden halt, his eyes wide, and he struggled to hide his panic.

"Gihon," he said, alarmed and surprised to see the River standing in the middle of the hall.

Gihon raised his eyebrow. "Hiddekel? Aren't you supposed to be guarding Honda's chamber? And who's that you've got there?"

Fortunately, Michelle was wise enough not to say a word and let Jaidee handle this; she even pretend to be cowering in fear in his arms. Jaidee quickly came up with a cover story, "Yeah, um, but Eden gave me new orders. Euphrates is still guarding Honda's cell. His girl was dead already, so there wasn't much for me to do. As for this one, Eden gave me orders to bring her to the blood room."

"Oh," Gihon frowned, but this his mood picked up again, "So did the Acid Death turn out as well as we hoped? You're lucky you got to watch it."

"Yeah, it worked flawlessly," he lied. "So...I'm just going to go to the blood room and carry out my orders, now." Jaidee started to go around him, but Gihon stepped in his way.

"Wait. Forget about your orders for now. I need you to help me with the intruders," he said.

"Forget about orders? Eden won't like that..."

"Look," Gihon rolled his eyes. "If you're so uptight about it, then let me contact Eden. I bet she'd be okay with you holding off on the blood room and helping me."

"No, don't call her," Jaidee said quickly. The last thing he needed was for Eden to realize he left his post. "Fine, I'll help."

Gihon pointed to the floor. There were droplets of blood forming a trail that led through the hall. "I've almost found them. Let's just finish this quickly so you can go to the blood room and I can go to Area A. I want to see what Eden has in store for Honda!"

"R-right," Jaidee nodded. He set Michelle down on her feet, and said in his most threatening voice, "Stay here! If you run, I'll just find you and catch you again."

"Y-yes, s-sir," Michelle whimpered. Jaidee had to admit, she was a good actress.

Then Gihon sped off, following the trail of blood, and Jaidee followed right behind him, his anxiety growing immensely. What the hell was he doing? He didn't want to kill any more people! But he couldn't blow his cover...he'd be dead for sure!

The there wasn't much of a trail to follow, for in about thirty seconds, the River and the ex-River followed it until it lead into a storage room. "This is it. Finally," Gihon smirked. "Time for revenge." Jaidee didn't know what revenge he was talking about, but he said nothing. Inwardly, however, he was trying to figure out what to do. Should he kill the intruders just to keep his cover and then save the captives?

"Antonio, can you stand?" Ludwig asked the Spaniard, who was sitting against the back wall. He was still in a terrible condition, his arm broken and limp, bruises covering his body. Ludwig was worried he might have lethal internal bleeding. Lovino wasn't much better off, he too having ugly wounds throughout his body. Feliciano was doing his best to bandage the worst wounds, using shreds of a lab coat they had found lying around in the storage room. He had been managed to make a sling for Antonio's arm, but there was nothing he could do for the broken ribs.

"I can try," Antonio answered, but Feliciano held him down.

"Ve, don't, you might hurt yourself!"

"We can't fucking wait here any longer, though!" Lovino protested when his brother also stopped him from getting up as well. "We have to move!"

While Lovino was cursing loudly, Ludwig was cursing silently in his head. Now what were they going to do? Antonio and Lovino could barely move to get out, much less save other captives. They were stuck, but he also knew that they didn't have much time left...

He was pulled from his thoughts when there was a sudden _bang!_ on the metal door of the room, leaving a large dent in it. "_Verdammt_," Ludwig clenched his jaw, "Feli, get your gun."

"R-right!" Feliciano nodded, fumbling to grab the gun from one of the tables. There was another loud _bang!_ on the door, and this time it toppled over completely. Gihon strode inside, a devilish grin spread over his face. Behind was another River, and Lovino recognized him to be the one that had brought Maria into their cell.

"Fuck," Lovino cursed under his breath, trying to stand up. This was bad, really bad. He and Antonio were too injured to be of any help, and they could barely stand one River, but two...that was impossible. He brought out his own gun, though he doubted it would do any good.

Feliciano opened fire, shooting at the Rivers thrice, but they easily dodged the bullets. "I won't fall for that again," Gihon sniggered with a leer. "And this time I won't forget about you." He eyed Feliciano maliciously, remembering the two bullets that had pierced him in the shoulder and in the stomach.

"How are you still alive? You should be dead by now!" Lovino exclaimed.

As a reply, Gihon held up a thin metal chain, an empty vial dangling from it. "You didn't think I'd go anywhere without being prepared, did you? The Antidote really comes in handy," he cackled. "Now which one of you wants to die first? I supposed it doesn't matter, you'll all be dead in a matter of seconds anyway. Let's do this, Hiddekel." Gihon took two steps forward, but when his partner didn't move, he glanced back at him. "Well? What's the matter with you? Let's go! Hiddekel!"

"I don't go by that name anymore."

"_Excuse me_?!"

The others just watched in confusion, unsure who to shoot at the moment.

"My real name is Jaidee. I'm not going by my River name any longer," he said evenly, his eyes dark.

"What the hell does that mean? Look, I'm giving you one last chance to come help me," Gihon warned ominously, his face only inches from Jaidee's. He grabbed the collar of his shirt roughly. "So get your shit together, _Hiddekel_."

Jaidee clenched his jaw. There was no turning back now. "Don't touch me." Then he balled his fist and connected it into Gihon's left cheekbone. The River stumbled sideways, letting go of Jaidee's collar. When he regained his footing, Gihon's temper flared.

"You dirty little motherfucker! Do you need me to put you back in your place?" Gihon snarled.

"I'm done working for Teramist," Jaidee growled back, "I won't let you kill anymore of these people!"

"Then that means you're against us," Gihon narrowed his eyes, "I doubt Eden will mind if I snuff out another traitor for her."

Feliciano, Ludwig, Antonio, and Lovino just watched in shock, all deciding it would be best to stay out of this fight that was way beyond their level.

Jaidee moved into a fighting stance, but his confidence was wavering. Gihon was the strongest and eldest of the four Rivers. They had only sparred before, just practiced, but never had the two gone toe to toe in an all-out fight before. The odds weren't in his favor. But still, he had to try.

After Jaidee had set Michelle down, it was only a matter of seconds before the he and Gihon had dashed away and disappeared from sight. She wondered if Jaidee had really meant it when he told her to stay put. If he did...well, screw that. Then she too followed the drops of blood, but her sprint was still at a much slower pace than the Rivers'. Even so, the rest of the trail wasn't very long, and it only took Michelle a few minutes to finally see where the trail led into a door down the hall.

Except when Michelle got a little closer, she could see that there wasn't a door, at least, not anymore. She slowed her pace to a jog, and then a walk, proceeding towards the room cautiously.

Then, out of nowhere, Jaidee came crashing through the wall just before the door-less doorway, and slammed into the opposite wall of the hall. Michelle recoiled out of surprise, using her arms to shield her face as debris from the wall flew everywhere. When Michelle looked up again, Jaidee was regaining his footing, and Gihon was stepping through the large, gaping hole in the wall, a savage look on his face.

"You think you stand a chance against me?" Gihon thundered, "I'll tear you to pieces!"

Jaidee waited until he drew closer, then counterattacked. The two entered a bare-fist brawl, throwing strikes then blocking their opponent's. At one point, Jaidee spun around and attempted to land the heel of his foot on Gihon's jaw, but the River ducked, then tried to thrust his own foot into Jaidee's gut. He avoided it by jumping back into a double hand spring. The two charged at each other again, but this time Gihon's momentum was stronger, and he tackled Jaidee to the ground. Gihon tried to strike his fist across his cheek while on top of him, but Jaidee caught it with his own hand. Gihon tried with his other fist, but Jaidee was able to catch that one as well. They stayed like that for a moment, pushing against each other in a deadly stalemate, Gihon trying to pummel in Jaidee's face, Jaidee struggling to push Gihon off of him.

"You would give up immortality for these insignificant, pathetic humans?" Gihon growled irately.

"We _are_ human!" Jaidee barked back.

"Not anymore!"

"We always were! And we'll never be more than humans," he shot back.

"I refuse to see myself as equal to such scum," Gihon snarled. He began to overpower Jaidee, his incredible strength at its peak since he had just consumed a vial of the Antidote. Then he was able to break the stalemate along with Jaidee's grasp, wrapping his fingers around his throat viciously. Jaidee used his own strength to try to pry his hands off, but could barely keep Gihon from crushing his windpipe.

"Jai!" Michelle cried. "Leave him alone!" Without thinking and acting on sheer impulse, she quickly removed one of her white sandals and threw it at Gihon's head. It didn't do any damage, but it did grab his attention.

"You worthless, impudent girl!" he bellowed angrily, releasing his hold on Jaidee, who coughed and took deep breaths. "I'll tear you limb from limb!" Gihon stood up and left the ex-River, starting towards Michelle menacingly. Frightened out of her wits, she turned on her heel to run, but suddenly Gihon was in front of her again, using his inhuman speed. She took a couple steps back, eyes wide in terror, and tried to recoil when Gihon lashed out at her, catching her arm and clenching it tightly. Michelle let out an involuntary scream, Gihon's threat of ripping her limbs off only too real.

Hearing her scream, Jaidee picked himself off the floor immediately, then pounced, leaping over Michelle and knocking into Gihon, forcing him to let go of her arm. "Don't touch her!" he shouted furiously, trying to restrain the River on the ground. But Gihon was too strong for that, throwing Jaidee off of himself. Jaidee stumbled backwards, but remained on his feet, keeping his guard up as Gihon surged forward, unleashing another wave of attacks. Gihon was just too good, Jaidee couldn't keep up for much longer, and Michelle could see that. She took a step towards them, not sure what to do but determined to help Jaidee, but he caught sight of her out of the corner of his eye, and commanded, "Stay out of this, Michelle!"

"But Jai-"

"I won't let him hurt you!" His words stunned Michelle into silence. It was completely unexpected to her, and she too realized that she didn't want to see Jaidee die either.

"You care for these wretched humans, and that's what makes you weak," Gihon scowled as he connected his fist into the bottom of Jaidee's jaw, sending him staggering backwards. Using one forceful hand, he slammed Jaidee against the wall, growling, "And you will die along with them!" He drove his knee into Jaidee's stomach, then struck him across the face again and again. Michelle wanted to scream and cry and puke all at once. But she could only watch in nauseating horror.

Then Ludwig came running through the empty doorway, carrying Feliciano's gun. "Help him!" Michelle pleaded, pointing to when Gihon was beating Jaidee to death. Ludwig thought about using the gun, but if Gihon moved out of the way at the last minute, the bullet would kill Jaidee instead. So he resorted to his own strength instead. With a running start, Ludwig surged forward and struck Gihon across the temple before the River even knew what was coming. Gihon reeled sideways, his rage mounting. Ludwig fired twice, but Gihon evaded the bullets, veins in his forehead popping.

"You again?" he spat, "This time I'll finish you for good." He engaged Ludwig, his attacks much more intensified than the last time they fought. It was impossible for Ludwig to match his skill, and he knew he was fatally in danger of being overtaken. But Jaidee was out for the count just yet. He willed himself to keep going, and just as Gihon was about to deliver a powerful blow, Jaidee leapt upon him while his back was turned. There was no time to have second thoughts; the ex-River moved as fast as his body could, one hand latching across the bottom of Gihon's jaw, the other over the top of the River's head. And in one swift movement, the deed was done. Gihon crumpled to the floor, his neck broken. Jaidee backed away from the body, a sickly expression on his face.

Ludwig was speechless for a moment, as if not believing the enemy was finally dead. Feliciano peeked outside the doorway. "Is...is it over? Are you okay?" he asked his blonde friend anxiously. Ludwig took a deep breath, and nodded, letting Feliciano give him another flying-tackle hug out of sheer happiness.

"Jai, you did it!" Michelle gave him a broad smile, though there were tears in her eyes. Jaidee didn't know whether they were from fear or relief or joy.

When she came over to help him stand steadily, he murmured weakly, "I'm glad you're alright."

"M-me too," she said softly, gently, "That was really brave of you. To save those people."

Jaidee chuckled, "And that was brave of you to throw that sandal, but promise me you won't ever do that again!"

"I don't know what I was thinking," Michelle laughed, "But I'm glad I did it. So no, I won't promise you that." Jaidee was about to protest, but then Michelle cut him off by place a light kiss on his cheek, causing him to blush furiously. "Now come on, we should help those people now." Still in shock, Jaidee nodded absently, but then blinked and snapped out of it.

"Right," he said, glancing over at Feliciano and Ludwig and deciding they weren't too hurt. He and Michelle went over to them, Jaidee offering his hand, saying, "Thank you. I owe you my life."

"Ve! No, we owe you ours!" Feliciano shook his head, beaming, as Ludwig took his hand.

"Ja, Feli's right. So I guess we're even then," Ludwig cracked a small smile for once. The four went back into the storage room, where Lovino and Antonio were still trying their best to stand on their feet. Antonio looked much worse off, so Jaidee looked at him for a moment, and then removed the chain necklace that hung around his neck. He held the red vial out for Antonio.

"Here, take it. It'll heal you," the ex-River said.

Antonio stared at the vial for a moment, but then pushed his hand back. "No, you keep it."

"No? You don't want it?" Jaidee raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised.

"Someone else might need it more than I do," the Spaniard replied. "I'll heal on my own, eventually." To be completely honest, Lovino was tempted to take the vial, but after seeing Antonio refuse it, he knew he shouldn't.

Jaidee nodded, respecting that decision. Then he turned to Michelle, "Okay then, let's get to work. We still have a good deal of captives to free."

"Right," Michelle agreed. She said to Ludwig, "You four should get yourselves out of here as quickly as you can, as quickly as their injuries will let you. Jai and I will leave behind a trail of busted up doors for you to follow."

Ludwig nodded. Jaidee shook his hand once more and said, "Good luck. See you on the outside." With that, Michelle let his carry her again and in a matter of seconds the two were gone.

* * *

"This way," Vash gesture to a door ahead of them, "We can cut through here and save us some time." Maria and Kiku followed him inside. It was a strange room-it seemed to be another type of testing room, with various complicated machinery and several isolated glass chambers that Maria couldn't even guess what they were for. But what really caught Maria's eyes was the two pedestals sitting in the center of the room. On each pedestal held up by a customized rack was a long vial, twice the size of the vials Maria had normally seen around here. And each vial contained a radiant red liquid. Vash walked right past them, as if it were nothing of interest, but Maria and Kiku stopped in front of them.

"Two vials of the Antidote?" Kiku titled his head, puzzled, "Why are they just sitting here?"

"Just for show, maybe?" Maria guessed, "But I feel like someone would have stolen them by now, since they're just let out in the open like this." She couldn't believe that not a single person in the laboratory was tempted by the two pedestals when they were so unguarded.

Vash stopped, then turned to see what they were talking about. He sighed, "Oh, that. You see...it's like another sick joke of Eden's. One vial is the Antidote, and the other is Acid Death. Each vial is extremely concentrated, so one sip of the Antidote one would save you from the very brink of death, but the Acid Death one would kill you in an instant. Eden left those out for anyone who was willing to...gamble their life for a long vial of the Antidote. The two are identical, so it would have to be a complete guess. No one around here wants to take that chance, and why should they when Eden has already promised us a vial once its released?" That last statement he spoke with bitter sarcasm, knowing it would never be released.

"No one was willing to give it a try?" Maria wondered, seeming as if she were mesmerized by the two vials.

"Well...one scientist did try, a few years ago. I wasn't working for Teramist yet, but I heard the stories," Vash frowned.

"Which one did he chose?" Kiku asked curiously.

"...the wrong one," Vash murmured, "And ever since then everyone else was too afraid to take the risk. But frankly, I think that they're _both_ Acid Death."

"I wouldn't put that past Eden," Maria nodded, "Sounds like something she'd do."

Kiku stared at the two vials for a moment, and when Maria raised an eyebrow at him questioningly, he said, "I don't know...I think one really is the Antidote, or else it wouldn't be a gamble, it would take away the 'fun' for Eden. She would find it much more exciting to see someone's life riding on luck and chance. But I do agree that whoever even tries to guess is dead; Eden wouldn't let the person who chose right walk away with the vial. She'd probably kill them and then announce that they chose wrong."

Maria thought about this for a moment. What he said did make a lot of sense. But Vash shrugged, "Anyway, we need to keep moving. The door's over here, let's go."

Kiku nodded and followed as Vash headed towards the exit. But Maria lingered before the pedestals for a brief moment, regarding them carefully. Then, almost subconsciously, she plucked the two vials from their racks and placed them inside her jacket pocket, hoping they wouldn't fall out. Then she hurried to catch up with Kiku and Vash.

After they exited the room, Kiku said privately to Maria, "We're almost there, I can feel it. Listen...I need you to make me another promise. Promise me that no matter what, from now on you'll do exactly as I say, okay?"

"Why are you making me promise this?" Maria inquired anxiously.

"I just need you to understand that Teramist must fall, at whatever cost," Kiku told her vaguely, but Maria took the hint. If that cost was Kiku's life, he was willing to pay that price. He wanted Maria to know that, too.

She hesitated, but finally answered, "Fine, I promise. But now you need to promise _me_ something."

"What is it?" he asked, a little surprised.

"You'll at least try your absolute best to live, alright?"

Kiku smiled, "Hai. I promise."

Maria gave him a half smile, "Good."

But the fact that Kiku made her promise in the first place unsettled her, and suddenly a terrible feeling knotted her stomach, and she couldn't shake it off. She hoped, no, prayed, that the cost wouldn't be Kiku's life, or any of theirs for that matter. But if the price was one of their lives, Maria was willing to pay hers instead.

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From the Author: This story is finally nearing the climax! Can you see it wrapping up? Honestly, I'm excited to the write the next chapter! Anyways, just wanted to say thanks for reading!

**hetaliaforever123: **I'm guessing you liked that chapter? ;) Thanks for all the reviews, they always make me smile!

Thanks for taking time out of your busy days to read my story! As for the climax, well, I've got some ideas planned, so stick around! To be continued...Until next chapter!


	19. Chapter 19: Sacrifice

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Hetalia.

Note: :') It's done, the climax is finally done~ And I couldn't have done it without all your help! So thanks guys! Anyway, this is an extremely long chapter, partly to make up for all the time you guys had to wait for me to publish this. So without further ado, enjoy!

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"We're almost there," Vash confirmed, but he came to a stop in the middle of the hallway, biting his lip in uncertainty.

"What's wrong?" Maria asked apprehensively, his expression making her worry.

"The security system in the next hall...I didn't realize how tight it was until now, since I never had to worry about it until now. All the scientists know about you two, so sneaking you inside the main database room without anyone stopping us is impossible," Vash said, racking his brains for another way in. Of course, there was none; Eden's most valuable room would be fool-proof.

"What's guarding it?" Kiku asked, hoping he'd be able to find some sort of loophole that perhaps Eden forgot about, though that was extremely unlikely.

"There are four guards, all of them armed in front of the first door, which requires a pass code. If we get past the first door, there's a short corridor leading to another pass-coded metal door, but the corridor is lined with defense mechanisms of its own. If those are activated, and I'm almost positive they are, then the chances are the corridor will kill us as soon as we step foot in it," he gritted his teeth, "I don't even know what weapons are built into that corridor since every time I've been there, they've all been inactive."

"So it's the three of us versus four armed guards and a killer corridor," Maria shuddered. She didn't even have a weapon on her.

Suddenly, they heard very light sets of footsteps coming towards them from the direction they had just come. Vash tensed, raising his gun, while Kiku pulled Maria behind him and readied his own weapon. When the blonde-haired girl darted into their sights, both Vash and Kiku almost opened fire, but she came to an abrupt halt, seeing their faces, and just behind her appeared Gilbert and Elizaveta.

"Gil, what are you doing with the River?" Kiku blinked, surprised, but he didn't lower his gun, which was trained on Euphrates's forehead, though she didn't regard him with any hostility.

"She's on our side now," Elizaveta answered for him, "It's alright, we can trust her."

"How can you be so sure?" Vash narrowed his eyes, "She was trained by Eden, one of the most notorious liars on the planet, after all."

"She gave me her vial of the Antidote," Gilbert shook his head, "And she was leading us to the main database, which is where you're going, right?"

"I'm done working for Eden," Euphrates nodded, "I want to live my own life now." Her voice was confident and unwavering, making it hard not to believe her, especially when fiery determination danced in her eyes. "Looks like you've switched sides, too, haven't you, Vash?" Vash didn't answer, but slowly lowered his gun and Kiku did the same. Euphrates eyed Maria curiously, "How did you get out? It wasn't Hiddekel by any chance, was it?"

Maria nodded, "Yeah, he let us go. He's in Area D now, freeing the captives."

"That's good," she nodded, "While he does his part, we need to do ours. I assume you all know about the...security up ahead?"

"We don't know what's in the corridor," Kiku replied, still a bit reluctant to trust her just like that.

"Oh, right. Only a River can get through the corridor once its activated," Euphrates said offhandedly, "Good thing you guys have one with you."

"So the guards, what do we do about them?" Maria asked. There was six of them now, and one was a River and another was a professional bounty hunter, so the odds had really shot up for them, thankfully.

"I'll handle it," Euphrates waved off, "Stay here for a moment." Before anyone could argue or ask what plan she had in mind, the River bolted away and around the corner to the next hall. The other five followed after her, quietly and cautiously, disregarding her request, until they were close enough to hear what was going on in case she needed back up, but far enough to stay out of sight.

Maria could hear the Belarusian's voice resound off the walls, "I'm going to guard the main database for now. Eden's orders."

"R-right, ma'am," one of the guards answered, obviously intimidated by the fierce River. "Is that all-" The guard was abruptly cut off, and they heard a few grunts and a whimper, before hearing the thud of several things slumping to the floor. Maria and the others, taking that as their cue, continued down the hall and rounded the corner to see Euphrates standing before the metal door to the main database with four unconscious guards lying on the floor around her feet.

"Well, that was easy," Gilbert chuckled. He still held the suitcase tightly in his grasp, to Kiku's relief, since he was afraid he wouldn't have had the suitcase and the security codes it contained when he finally reached the database.

"We aren't done yet," Elizaveta reminded him, "There's still the corridor." Euphrates was already punching in the code into the keypad to the metal door, and Maria couldn't help but feel extremely grateful that the River was there; she had save them a lot of time and possibly some serious injuries.

The metal door slid open on the first try, but Euphrates didn't enter the corridor just yet. "Was it...every third tile?" she muttered under her breath in thought.

"Problem?" Vash inquired, frowning.

"I think it's every third tile," Euphrates said, pointing to the floor in front of her. Instead of being smooth like the rest of the laboratory, the floor of the corridor was comprised of white marble tiles until a small platform just in front of the door that wasn't tiled. "You see, only a River can enter the activated corridor because our body heat is different from a normal humans. The Radiptanium alters our heat scans, so the lasers built into the walls here won't shoot me. But that's not all. You can only walk on the middle row of tiles, and even then, only every third tile is safe. Step on the wrong tile, and the lasers come out. But if I enter the pass code on the other side, then it'll deactivate the heat scan and you can cross one at a time." Without wasting another second, she nimbly leapt forward and landed lightly on the third tile. Then she continued hopping forward, only landing on one foot each time, and Maria couldn't help but think of a giant hopscotch game. Finally she reached the end and easily entered the correct pass code. The second metal door slid open, revealing the main database room behind it. She turned around and called, "Alright, the heat scan is off, and you can walk on any of the middle row tiles, but step on any other row, and you're dead."

"Me first," Kiku nodded, and then took the suitcase from Gilbert. Swiftly and with precise agility, Kiku quickly made his way to the other side and into the room without any trouble. Euphrates remained by the keypad on the platform in case anything unexpected were to happen. Vash went next, carefully but quickly making it through the corridor. Maria took her turn after he did, practically holding her breath the whole way through, warily watching her step. Finally she made into the room with Kiku and Vash, but just as she did, the metal door suddenly slammed shut, Maria barely making through. She stumbled forward in alarm, but Kiku caught her before she could fall. She, Kiku, and Vash were sealed inside.

"What just happened?" Maria sputtered, straightening up and taking a good look around the room. The room itself was fairly wide, larger than any of the others rooms she had been inside in the laboratory, and counters cluttered with papers and racks of colorful tubes and flasks lined three of the four walls. In the center of the room was a long rectangular table, covered with manila file folders, a few of them open, containing notes of Teramist's operations. The only door she could see was the one that just locked them inside.

"I don't know, the door closed all of a sudden," Kiku bit his lip anxiously, "I don't think Euphrates can use the pass code to open it again."

"No use dwelling on it," Vash said, already at the main control panel. A huge screen was installed into one of the wall, probably fifteen by twenty feet, surrounded by a cluster of smaller screen, each displaying something different. Some of the screen were receiving live feedback from a security camera somewhere in the laboratory, while some listed status of various Teramist projects, and others showed information from other Teramist branches in other countries. The main screen, however, displayed a three-dimensional figure of a male human, and several of his body parts, like his biceps and calves, were highlighted, and pop-ups of information filled the rest of the screen, and from what Maria could tell, it was information on how the Antidote affected the human body.

Kiku was already pulling out the USB drive from his suitcase, along with several papers of security codes as Vash began typing into the control panel connected to the big screen. "If you can make it past the firewall on your own, we can wipe the database even faster," Kiku said as he inserted the hard drive into one of the docks on the panel.

Vash nodded without looking up, "Already working on it." Kiku began pressing some of the buttons on the other end of the control panel that apparently linked to some of the smaller screens, since their displays began to change and asked for security codes. While the two went to work, Maria didn't know what else to do-she had no knowledge of computer hacking or anything of the sort-so she just wandered over to one of the counters against the wall, and took out the two long vials she had kept in her pocket. There was an empty tube rack sitting on the back of the counter, so she placed them there and gazed at them a moment, wondering which vial was which. After a minute or so, she gave up, there were no distinctions between the two vials, and went back to Kiku and Vash. They were finally here, the main database, and they were finally going to put a stop to all the atrocities Teramist had been up to with the USB drive...but, Maria shifted uneasily, getting in here seemed too easy...

She waited there quietly and patiently as the two continued typing in number and letter sequences that she could make no sense of, but she couldn't seem to shake a dreadful feeling that was growing inside her, as if she were waiting for something horrible to happen any minute now.

Maria didn't have to wait much longer for that horrible something.

Shouts came from outside the metal door, from in the corridor and out in the hallway. The metal door muffled the noise, but she could still hear them. Both Vash and Kiku looked up involuntarily, then quickly went back to work with a new sense of urgency, Vash cursing quietly. Maria's fears welled in her chest when she heard gunshots ring from the other side.

"Eden must have sent more guards," Vash clenched his jaw angrily. That was the only explanation, Maria agreed in her head, unless Eden herself was right outside those doors. Euphrates was strong, and the bounty hunter was a good shot, but could they hold out without any help for very long? Even they had their limits.

Maria's worries were interrupted when a slight rumble from the back of the room caught her attention. She whirled around instinctively, and so did the others. A portion of the back wall opened up, like elevator doors would, and Maria inhaled sharply.

Eden stepped into the room, holding the tablet at her side, with an expression full of vengeance and venom. She was angry, so tremendously furious, though she did a good job of masking most of it. She had always known that anger and fury were irrational emotions that belonged to humans who couldn't control themselves, but how could she not be angry right now? Everything, her whole organization, was falling apart at the seams all because of a few self-righteous, impudent upstarts. After taking a good look at her tablet heat scans, and finally deducing what was happening, Eden realized that two of her Rivers betrayed her and the other two were dead. She was not going to let anything else happen to Teramist, and there was no way she was going to let these insolent humans ruin her plans and her immortality. Their meddling ended here.

Her glower moved from Maria, the girl who was supposed to be dead, to Kiku, who had started this whole disastrous chain of events, to Vash, and she growled when she saw him, "Zwingli, what do you think you're doing? Or did you forget about your dear sister already? Your mistake will cost her dearly."

"Don't even think about hurting his sister," Maria seethed, unable to help herself, all her outrage and animosity piquing inside of her. "Because we won't let you hurt anyone anymore!" Her outburst startled Kiku and Vash, but it take Eden's glare off of Vash and onto her.

"You think you can stop me, stupid girl?" Eden's voice was cold and filled with rancor and spite. "None of you will be making it out of here alive. And neither will any of your little friends. You were all fools for ever trifling with Teramist. You won't be getting in my way ever again. If you think you stand a chance against me, then I'm afraid you are terribly mistaken. I was drinking the Antidote decades before any of the Rivers even knew about it. I am the first, the strongest of them all. You can't defeat me. You must see that by now."

As much as Maria wanted deny it, she found that she couldn't. How could they beat someone like her? None of them were any real match for the Rivers, so how could they hope to survive against the most powerful of them all? When Maria glanced over, she could see the hopeless and forlorn looks in their eyes as well, because they all knew what Eden was saying wasn't far from the truth. And then Maria's thoughts jumped to the girl who had saved her life all those years ago, and suddenly Maria realized that Mai was in this exact same position. Mai, who must have felt the panic and terror of someone she didn't stand a chance against, who wanted to save her friend, but didn't know how. Mai, who was willing to give up everything to save Maria. Mai, who was reckless enough, brash enough, brave enough, and caring enough to put herself in front of Maria and protect her, even though she was probably overwhelmed with fear herself. Mai had sacrificed herself so that Maria could live, and Maria wasn't going to dishonor her sacrifice now by losing faith. If Mai could do that, then surely, then the least Maria could do now was try.

And then there were her friends, all the ones who came here just to help her. There was no way she was going to let them down now. "Maybe you're right, you're strong enough to kill us just like that," Maria said evenly, clenching her fists, "But that doesn't mean we can't defeat you! Even if you kill us here, Teramist won't last forever, just look around! You can't control all these people and ruin their lives indefinitely, because...because there will always be someone out there to stop you! You've lost control of the servants you 'employ' here, how many more people have to die before you realize what's wrong with what you're doing? You're beyond selfish, and we can't just back down knowing how many people you've slaughtered, and how many you plan to slaughter next!"

Eden gave a menacing laugh that would have sent shivers down Maria's spine, but she refused to be afraid of her. "Selfish? You asinine girl, don't you know that only the selfish, greedy ones ever make it to the top? It's true. Survival of the fittest, it's harsh, but it's nature's law. Those who forgo progress in the name of 'morality' are weak, and will never know true success. It's our desires that bring out the best of us, that guide us to true achievement, no matter the cost! By pursuing my wildest desires I have risen to power, and I have achieved immortality, surpassing the weak humans to become the ultimate life form."

"To live your life like that, to want without learning to sacrifice," Kiku shook his head ardently, "That kind of mentality, it will only lead you to your own destruction, and the destruction of those around you. You will never be more than human, and even though with immortality, you don't age or die, you aren't living either."

"Don't you see? To live without a reason worth dying for isn't much different from being dead," Maria added zealously. When Eden rested her glare on her once more, Maria saw out of the corner of her eye Kiku slyly reach for the gun that lay on the control panel behind him. She was aware that Vash was still entering security codes silently while Eden's attention was distracted.

"You don't know how wrong you are," Eden sneered smugly at Maria, "It's far different from being dead, but perhaps you don't know the difference between life and death. Why don't I show you?" Her expression morphed into a threatening one full of hate and murder. Eden's muscles tensed, much like a feline preparing to pounce on its prey, and Kiku clutched his weapon, taking a step forward.

"If you so much as touch a hair on her head, I'll kill you," Kiku threatened fiercely, raising his gun.

Eden just laughed again, as if she found that statement so foolish it was humorous. "I'd like to see you try, that is, if you can survive longer than five minutes."

Maria gritted her teeth, sensing the fight to come. She took the gun Vash had set down on the counter next to the control panel. "Keep downloading the virus," she told Vash, "We'll buy you as much time as we can."

Vash bit his lip, but nodded. "It'll take at least fifteen more minutes to be effective."

"Hai," Kiku nodded, never taking his eyes off their opponent. Fifteen minutes was long, too long, Maria knew, but they didn't have much of a choice. Could they hold out for that long? Between herself and Kiku, they just might, but it was going to require quite a bit of luck and intense physical skill.

Narrowing her vehement eyes, Eden growled, "Vash, if you dare use that virus I'll-"

_BANG! _Her threat was cut off abruptly when sidestepped to avoid a bullet aimed at her shoulder, and she blinked in surprise.

Maria's grip on the gun was firm and unwavering, though she was a bit surprised herself that she had been the first to fire. Kiku was stunned as well, but quickly snapped out of it. "Didn't I already tell you I wasn't going to let you hurt anyone else?" Maria spat, no signs of fear or weakness in her chocolate brown eyes.

"Why you, I'll crush your skull!" Eden snarled, and bolted forward aggressively toward Maria with terribly incredible velocity, so fast that Maria barely had time to comprehend what was happening. Fortunately for her, Kiku was a quick and sharp thinker. He promptly pushed Maria out of the way, and Eden slammed into him instead. That's when Maria realized how futile the gun would be. The bullet would never be able to catch Eden; she was three times faster than Jaidee and Pison, outmatching both of them combined easily.

Kiku and Eden crashed into the counter near the control panel, and Eden summarily pinned him down on the tabletop with only one arm pressing down on his neck. "So you want to die first then, Honda? It'll be my pleasure!" she thundered heatedly, cocking her free arm back to throw the first punch and draw the first blood. Kiku struggled under her grip, but it was no use.

Maria acted on impulse, quickly getting to her feet and rushing to Kiku's aid. Without thinking, she grabbed Eden's fist before she could land the blow, and wrenched her off of him. While Eden was still off-guard and off balance, Maria drove her knee into her adversary's midsection, sending her staggering backwards. Maria had learned that move from Jaidee actually, when he was still a River and had used it on her in the London park. But what shocked her was the amount of force she was able to use; she was stronger than she thought, but she wasn't sure why. Then it dawned on her. She had drank the Antidote not even an hour ago! Not only had it restored her health from the Acid Death, but it had also endowed her with abnormal strength, at least for the time being. She still wasn't even close to matching Eden's strength, but at least it was something.

"How did you...?" Eden clenched her jaw and glared at Maria scornfully, startled by the vigor she had be able to put into that last move, as Kiku straightened up, letting out a few coughs.

"You should know," Maria smirked, "It was your concoction."

"You drank the Antidote, huh?" Eden scowled disdainfully, "So that's how you survived. Hiddekel gave you his, didn't he? The traitorous fool. He won't get away with his life for that one."

"He realized what you were doing was wrong, that he was nothing but a mindless servant to you," Maria shook her head crossly. "And he deserves better."

"He should have known his place," Eden roared back, "He should have been content with the life I gave him! The turncoat doesn't know how fatal his mistake will be! I'll deal with him as soon as I'm done with the three of you."

By this point, Kiku was back on his feet upright, and began shooting at Eden, not waiting for her to attack them first. Her movements were nothing but a blur to Maria and Kiku, and once she had easily avoided the bullets, she launched herself at them once more. Eden was swift enough and crafty enough to take them both at once, even with Maria and Kiku trying their best to coordinate their moves and work together. Her strikes were alternating between the two, but still Maria couldn't manage to evade them all, much less put up much of a fight back, and Kiku was the same. If it weren't for the Antidote's boost on her reserves, Maria knew she wouldn't have been able to last very long. But as Eden's relentless attacks intensified, both of them could feel the blows taking a heavy toll on their body. When Eden's knuckles collided with her rib cage, Maria could almost hear the sickening crunch of the bone cracking, sending a searing pain shooting through her. She stumbled back, the agony making her double over involuntarily.

Eden gave a wicked smile, eyes alight with twisted pleasure, but before she could advance on Maria for the final blow, Kiku stood in her way defiantly, blood streaming down from the corners of his mouth and a distinct bruise forming just below his left temple. His vision was a bit blurry, but he did his best to ignore it all. Eden took a step forward, then saw something gleam on the counter beside her, a long scalpel, a knife used for heavy dissections of flesh organisms. She grasped it, her sinister grin widening in delight. Then she surged towards Kiku, brandishing the scalpel, and lashing out with its sharp, thin blade. Kiku's brain was reeling, overworking its limit and capacity to stay in the fight. The blade tore his shirt, cut his skin multiple times, leaving stinging pains throughout his torso and arms. She stabbed forward at his forehead, and Kiku sidestepped an instant to late, the knife leaving a gash running from his right brow to the top of his ear. Laughing in psychotic amusement, Eden swiped at his face again, but this time Kiku was able to duck. However, Eden anticipated his move, then whirled around and ramming her elbow forcefully into his left shoulder, dislocating it, and Kiku tumbled backwards.

With him out of the way for now, Eden turned her attention back t o Maria, who was finally able to shift back into a fighting stance. "Shall I dissect you now?" she cackled, pointing the scalpel in her direction, "Then cut out your heart and see what makes it so weak?" Her impious eyes reflected the heartless mindset she spoke her cruel words with, and she didn't have more than a small scratch on her. "Or maybe I'll cut out that insolent mouth of yours."

Maria didn't answer, and tried not to heed any of her vicious words. Instead, she took deep breaths, trying to recall everything Yao had taught her in martial arts. _Keep both hands up for defense, one high guard to protect your face, one low guard to protect your body. Never face your opponent straight on, but rather, shift your body a bit sideways, making yourself less of a target. Always keep a level head, and read your opponent's movements, every slight shift in weight, to anticipate their next move. Strike hard and direct, with composure. Make sure your own stance is solid and unmoving. Balance is key. Both physical and mental balance, _Yao had told her.

Maria made sure her fighting stance matched what Yao had said in all those lessons, and cleared her thoughts of any doubts. Mental balance, it was imperative that she maintained it. When Eden lunged at her once more, Maria was watchful and steady this time. Eden jabbed with her left hand, holding the scalpel, and Maria leaned right, barely avoiding the tip of the blade. When her adversary tried to drive her fist into her injured rib cage again, she made a slight jump backwards out of Eden's reach. Eden thrust her foot out to land a crippling blow on Maria's shoulder, but Maria ducked at the last possible moment, then countered by springing upward while Eden was still balancing on one leg with the other extended outward, and connecting her own fist with the bottom of Eden's jaw. Yao's teachings really were paying off, it was working!

But even with the best martial arts teacher, no ordinary person could be strong enough to defeat Eden alone. Maria's uppercut punch barely did a thing. Eden stepped back, to crack her neck into place with ease, and Maria took the opportunity to catch her breath, but she could feel her own energy diminishing, and wondered how much longer she could stand, much less keep dodging attacks. And then, suddenly, Maria's knees buckled, and her legs gave out from her under, and she fell to her hands and knees, exhaustion overcoming her muscles. _No!_ she thought in a wave of horrible panic and anger, _I can't be done just yet! _At the most it had only been eight minutes. Vash could hear the brawl behind him, and he desperately wanted to help his allies, but he knew that the virus was their main priority, and he needed at least another seven minutes.

"Do you see know, foolish girl? There is no defeating me," Eden said evenly, "Now it's over for you and your friends." Her eyes were cold and vindictive, the scalpel glinting maliciously in her hand.

But before she could finish Maria off, Kiku was on his feet again, if only just, his good hand clasped over his dislocated shoulder. "Just give up already," Eden hissed irately, "You can barely stand! Just stay down while I get rid of your beloved girl. Your death will be coming soon enough."

"Never," Kiku breathed back, determination in his brown eyes, his chest heaving, struggling to keep him upright. Enraged by his tenacity, Eden struck him across the cheek, again and again, then brutally gripped his neck with one hand, and lifted his weak form inches off the ground. Seeing him like that made a new sensation pour into Maria, renewing her own willpower, and adrenaline flowed through her veins.

"Then die!" she snarled. But then, in that next instant, multiple things happened at once. A pop-up message appeared on the huge screen above the control panel, reading: Download Complete in 5 minutes. Eden's back was to the screen, so she didn't see it, but Kiku saw it, and so did Maria. Then Maria's gaze found the handgun lying on the floor a few feet to her right; Kiku must've dropped it when Eden attacked him. Maria quickly snatched the gun, but Eden saw her move out of the corner of her eye. Using every last bit of her energy left, Maria forced herself to her feet, looking up to see Eden holding Kiku in a different position. She had one arm clutching his hair to hold him up facing Maria, and the other hand held the scalpel to his throat. Kiku's eyes were hazy, and there was blood all over him, making Maria absolutely sick to her stomach. She probably would have puked if she had anything in her own stomach to throw up.

"Looks like your situations are switched from what they were earlier," Eden laughed, "Now you hold the gun, girl. You get to chose how he dies. Go ahead, shoot me." She leered with malice, and Maria knew as soon as she shot, Eden would just use Kiku's body as a shield from the bullet. She locked eyes with Kiku, but neither of them could communicate an answer. If this was the last time they were going to see each other alive, then there was so much she wanted to tell him, but her eyes said it all for her, and his did the same.

Maria felt the tears form in her eyes. Would shooting be a quicker, easier death than letting Eden slit his throat?

And she had one of those brilliant, epiphany moments.

She blinked past her tears, and ignored Eden's relishing look. With mock jubilation, Maria smiled at Eden, who became seriously confused. "What are you so happy about?" she demanded, the scalpel still at Kiku's throat. He was also perplexed, but said nothing, trusting Maria's judgment.

"I beat you, we beat you," Maria said with a spurious smirk and a fake cheery attitude.

"What?! What are you talking about?" Eden exclaimed, an expression a mixture of befuddlement and outrage at her nerve.

"The download's complete," Maria announced, the whole time never taking her aim off of Eden, and as soon as she said this, Kiku caught on, a small smile tugging on his lips indicating he understood. "Just look at the screen!" Maria said happily.

Vash glanced over his shoulder, shocked at what she said, but then went back to work. Meanwhile, Eden jerked her head around to look at the screen, which happened to read: Download Complete in 2 minutes.

In that instant Eden had been distracted, Kiku summoned the last bit of his strength to throw his head backwards into Eden's nose. Involuntarily, she let go of him in shock, confusion still written all over her face. Kiku hit the floor as fast as he could, and Maria pulled the trigger.

Eden tried to dodge the bullet, but she realized what was happened seconds too late. The bullet ripped through the right side of her chest. It didn't pass through her heart, though. Eden staggered, then lurched forward, cupping the wound with one hand. Her eyes were wide and wild. But then Maria saw her pull out a chain necklace out from under her shirt, and dangling from it was a radiant red vial. Not giving her anytime to take the Antidote, Maria fired again, this time the bullet piercing her midsection, causing Eden to lose hold of the vial, which shattered as it hit the floor, red droplets of the Antidote splattering outward.

The sight was absolutely unthinkable for Eden. She never dreamed this day would come. It was...it was impossible! She was immortal, undying, everlasting, all-powerful! How could this be?! How could mere humans, bound to each other only by the weakest emotion there was, love, defeat her? This couldn't be happening! And yet...the blooding flowing from her wounds was all too real, hot and sticky and red...this was the stuff she had been using to create her Antidote all along, but when she looked at it now, it seemed much more...drastic. Eden collapsed to her knees, murmuring in despair, "You...you killed me..."

Then finally, she fell forward on the floor, and didn't say another word.

Kiku was only a few feet away from her, just now sitting up painfully. Maria came and knelt by his side, placing the gun on the floor so she could use both her hands to help him up. With his arm slung around her shoulder, she led him to the nearest counter so he could lean on it. Just as they reached the counter, another pop-up message flashed on the screen: Download Complete.

Vash carefully typed in the very last code that activated the virus on the USB, and finally hit the "enter" button. A "loading" symbol appeared for a few moments, moments of lip-biting tension Maria might add, before the symbol disappeared, and all the screens on the wall went blank.

"That's supposed to happen, right?" Maria said hopefully, leaning back on the counter next to Kiku.

"H-hai, I think so," Kiku nodded slightly, his voice coarse.

"Thank God," Vash sighed in relief. He glanced over at Maria, "You really threw me one a couple minutes ago. That was some tricky thinking."

Maria smiled weakly, "Thanks. I was afraid it wasn't going to work, but I'm so glad it did."

"You saved me again," Kiku said softly, giving her another grateful, adoring look.

Maria returned the look, "You saved me again too. We're even."

Suddenly, there was a loud _thud!_ like metal being rammed by something. Maria and Vash whirled around, seeing the giant dent that was put into the metal door. Vash cursed. "What now?!" he exclaimed, clenching his jaw.

There was another dent, then another, and another, until finally, the whole door itself fell inward, clanging to the floor. Behind it was Euphrates, ready for action, standing next to none other than Ivan Braginski, who was rubbing his knuckles as if he had just been the one to break down the door, which he probably did. Apparently they had just finished doing away with all the guards and reinforcements, judging by all the unconscious people that lay outside in the hall.

"Ivan?" Kiku blinked, surprised.

"Da, it's me," Ivan said, growing exponentially cheerful when he saw Eden lying in a pool of her own blood. "Came to rescue you, but it seems like you don't need it."

"You beat her?" Euphrates said incredulously, her mouth open. Before Maria could answer, Gilbert bounded in, gun at hand, followed by Elizaveta.

"Did you do it? Finish the job and wipe the database?" the albino asked urgently.

Vash nodded, "It's done."

"Awesome!" Gilbert cheered, as Elizaveta went to Kiku to inspect his wounds. She and Maria helped him hobble off the counter and towards the exit.

"We need to get you out of here," Elizaveta murmured to him gently. "You need medical attention."

But as they headed towards the opening, Yao entered as well, but what caught Maria's attention was that Yong Soo was riding on his back. Yao was elated to see Maria alive again, and the Korean looked simply overjoyed at the sight of her breathing.

"Maria!" Yong Soo exclaimed in jubilation. "You're not dead!"

"I know, crazy, right?" Maria giggled, "And why the heck are you getting a piggy-back ride from Yao?"

Yong Soo's bright grin faded. Even Yao stared down at the floor for a moment. Ivan looked away, ashamed. Sighing, Yong Soo quickly summed up what had happened to his spinal cord, and Maria was left speechless and shocked for a moment. "You, you have to go to a hospital right away too," she said sternly.

"There's nothing they can do for paralysis," Yong Soo shook his head, crestfallen.

"Well, we still have to try! Maybe...maybe with surgery or something," Maria tried, but no one else supported her.

"We should still go to the emergency room," Yao nodded finally, though he didn't say anything about fixing Yong Soo's condition.

"Right..." Maria said half-heartedly.

Little did they know, Eden wasn't dead just yet. Even though two bullets had pierced her body, she was much, much stronger than the average human, and so while she was assuredly dying, her death would be quite slow, since her body could resist death longer. Through excruciating agony, Eden glanced up from the floor, and slowly her hand moved to the gun that lay only a few feet beside her, the gun Maria had set down on the floor when she helped Kiku to the counter. She finally grasped the gun while the others were consoling the one with the severed spinal cord. As she pointed the gun, with all their backs turned to her, she thought vehemently, _Honda, this is all your doing._ _If I'm going to die here, then I'm taking you with me. I'll separate you from your beloved girl once and for all. My final revenge. _

Then she pulled the trigger.

Kiku crumpled to the ground, falling off of Maria and Elizaveta. Maria let out a blood-curling scream, filled with anguish. "_KIKU_!" Euphrates, thinking fast, flexed her wrist and flung her knife at Eden, still on the ground and wearing a satisfied smile, and the blade embedded itself into her brain. But the damage was done.

Maria carefully flipped Kiku over so he lay on his back, and blood was seeping into his clothes from the bullet wound directly in the center of his chest. The bullet didn't pierce his heart, but it was a fatal wound, nonetheless. His breaths were raspy, quick, shallow, his eyelids were heavy, and soon he closed them, unable to retain consciousness any longer. Tears were streaming down Maria's bloodstained cheeks, and she flashed back to another time she was kneeling by a loved one's side, helpless to stop the blood from the bullet wound.

Yao quickly set Yong Soo down and knelt on the other side of Kiku, pressing his hands on the wound, but the blood just kept flowing. Elizaveta wanted to help, but didn't know what to do, tears spilling from her eyes as well. Gilbert, Vash and Ivan could only watch in utter horror.

It wasn't going to end like this! She wasn't going to lose Kiku to another murder, she refuse to let that happen! But what...?! And then she had it. The two vials! One was the _Antidote_!

Jumping to her feet abruptly, she bolted to the counter, grabbing the vials off the rack, then returning to Kiku's side in a flash. She held to two red vials eye-level to her face, analyzing them intently.

"W-what's that?" Yao asked anxiously.

"One vial is the Antidote, the other is Acid Death," Vash muttered, "But we don't know which!"

"I can test them," Maria murmured, as if she were in a mesmerized trance. And she did know a way to find out which vial was which. Since the vials were longer, there was enough of each for two people. All she had to do was pick one and sip it, and then after they knew which one was which, the correct one could be given to Kiku.

"You?! No, Maria!" Vash protested, alarmed, "What if you pick the Acid Death? You'll die in less than a second. Kiku wouldn't want that!"

"I know he wouldn't!" Maria exclaimed, a little hysterically, "But I also know that if our places were switched, he wouldn't think twice about testing them himself. I won't let him die, not when I can save him! I won't watch another person die before me again!" Yong Soo winced at her words, knowing she was thinking back to the night Mai died.

"Maria, listen to yourself! If you died drinking the wrong vial, you've wasted everything Kiku fought for, and he'd be crushed for the rest of his life," Yao argued earnestly.

"But there's a chance we can both live," Maria objected passionately, "A chance I have to take!" She glanced down at Kiku's pale face, his chest rising and falling unevenly. She didn't have much time left, if he died, not even the Antidote could save him.

Then Yong Soo reached over and placed a tender hand on Maria's shoulder, "Let me test it. His voice was soft and gentle.

"W-what?" she stammered, meeting his warm eyes with her wide ones. "No, I can't lose you too!"

"And I can't lose you," Yong Soo continued confidently, "I'm your older cousin, and I promised to keep you safe. Give me the vials instead."

"No, I can risk my life, but I won't risk yours," Maria shook her head.

"Maria, listen, we don't have much time," Yong Soo pressed, "Look at me, I can't move anything below my waist. I can't walk or run or swim or do the things I want to do with the ones I love. I can't live like this, disabled for the rest of my life! If I drink the right vial, I'll be able to move my legs again! And either way, you'll know which vial is the Antidote, and you can use it to save Kiku."

His logic was tempting, and all too convincing. Maria could see that he truly meant every word, and that he really did want to do this. But what if he chose the wrong vial? What if, as Vash said, both vials were just Acid Death, and she'd lose both Kiku and Yong Soo? But then, she was almost positive one vial in her hands held the solution to all of this. Just which one?!

Seeing her hesitation, Yong Soo moved to take the vials from her hands, and this time she didn't stop him. Gingerly, he took them into his own hands. It was simple. All he had to do was chose the right one. It would save both himself and Kiku, but if he chose the wrong one...

"Yong Soo, don't, I'll drink it," Yao offered, holding his hand out, but Yong Soo refused to hand them over.

"No, you have kids that still need you," he shook his head, "I've got this one, Yao, so have a little faith!" He winked, and tried to put on a reassuring smile, but no one else in the room seemed convinced. The way the others were looking at him, and the tears in Maria's eyes, made him feel like he was facing almost certain death. But, Yong Soo realized, that was okay with him. If he died saving Kiku's life, well, he supposed there were worse ways to die. It would be worth it this time.

Then he studied the two vials carefully for a brief moment, and to his dismay, they were exactly the same, indistinguishable. But he didn't want to show any signs of doubt in front of Maria, since that would only make her worry even more. With a confident yet fake smirk, he raised the one in his right hand, declaring, "It's this one!"

"H-how do you know?" Maria asked, trying to hold back her tears.

"I just do," Yong Soo gave her and Yao one last signature smile of his, flashing his pearly whites, then uncorked the vial. He exchanged an understanding glance with Yao, silently telling him a goodbye, and a thank you.

As he brought the vial to his lips, a single tear escaped Maria's eye, and it glistened as it rolled down her cheek. He heard Ivan say, "You are one of the bravest people I've ever met, comrade." The compliment made him proud for some reason, and helped give him the strength to actually do it, with a ghost of a smile on his face. This was worth it. Worth dying for.

Then he closed his eyes and let a sip of the red liquid trickle down his throat.

* * *

From the Author: I don't even know what to say at this point. Maybe that I absolutely enjoyed writing this for all of you? Because I did, I really did, so I hope you all enjoyed it too! Lots of things happened in this chapter, didn't they?

Anyways, just wanted to say thanks again for reading, favoriting, review, alerting, and such! It's been a tremendous confidence boost and awesome support! Couldn't have gotten this far without you guys, like I said earlier :D

**hetaliaforever123: **I know, right? ;) Thanks so much, I appreciated every single review!

**Maximilliminute: **Yay! Thanks, it really does mean so much to me! I never take a review for granted, I swear!

**Tsuruya-san88: **I thought I mentioned this earlier, but all the truly evil characters in this fanfic are made up, since I didn't want to antagonize any nations, and therefore come off as racist. Thanks for all the reviews!

BTW, there is only one chapter left, and then the epilogue!

Thank you all again for your precious time, and please review :) Until next chapter!


	20. Chapter 20: Immortality

Disclaimer: Hetalia is not owned by me at all.

Note: Sorry this chapter took so long, I kind of hit major writer's block until recently. Anyways, this chapter is the last legitimate chapter before the epologue, so enjoy!

* * *

**Three Months Later**

Sunlight seeped through the crack in the two curtains of the window, casting a soft, homely glow about the room. It was calm and peaceful, this particular morning, with the birds chirping just outside the window in the verdant planter box that decorated the wall of the apartment. Kiku awoke to the wafting smell of delicious, warm cooking that drifted in through the slightly ajar door. He opened his eyes to see that the other side of the king-sized bed was empty, the pillows and blanked neatly made. Yawning, he sat up slowly, trying to shake the sleepiness off. Still in his cotton pajamas, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, going straight to the bathroom to wash his face. The cold water was enough to wake up him completely, and he briefly ran his hand through his dark hair before heading to the kitchen, not bothering to change first.

Maria was also still in her silk, light pink pajamas, with an apron, her hair pulled back into a lose bun. Even without any make-up nor morning prep, Kiku thought she was still beautiful as she poured more batter onto the sizzling pan. Next to the stove, there was a plate of bacon, one of scrambled eggs, and one of French toast. Her back was to him, so she didn't notice him come into the kitchen, and Kiku silently sat down at the counter behind her. However, she seemed to sense he was there, and glanced over her shoulder with a smile. "The crepes are almost ready," she said happily.

"It's my turn to make breakfast, remember?" Kiku chuckled, taking a piece of bacon.

"Yeah, but you were still asleep and I was hungry," Maria laughed, using the spatula to take the last crepe off the pan and set it on its own plate. After opening the refrigerator, she took out a box of fresh strawberries and wrapped a few into the crepe, then sprinkled it with powdered sugar. "I also wanted to try this new recipe Matthew suggested."

"It looks great," Kiku complimented when she placed the dish of the strawberry crepe on the table. She brought the other plates to the round table, and she took a seat, and Kiku also sat down across from her.

Maria began to dig into her French toast and scrambled eggs while Kiku tried a bite of the crepe, which was as scrumptious as it looked. As his taste buds enjoyed the luscious sensation, Maria stood up abruptly, remembering something. She grabbed something hidden under all of Kiku's mail sitting in a pile on the counter. As she sat down again, she held it up for him to see. It was a newspaper, rolled up in a rubber band. "This is from Arthur," she said, removing the rubber band, "His article's finally been released by the press."

"Really?" Kiku blinked, curiosity in his brown eyes. "It's about time."

"Yeah, the authorities finally gave him the 'okay' and let him publish the story," Maria nodded, knowing it was unnecessary to say what exactly the story was about. They were there when it happened, after all. "It came with a letter from Arthur," she added, "I hope you don't mind, but I read it while you were still sleeping. He said because of the article he got a huge promotion from _The Times_ and he has you to thank for it."

Kiku couldn't help but smile, "I think I should be the one thanking him. He really had to tweak the story around to make us all look completely innocent."

Maria unfurled the newspaper, and Arthur's article was the major headline, right under the company title. Kiku scooted his chair next to hers so he could read over her shoulder. The headline read, "Pharmaceutical Company Secretly Conducts Human Experiments in Spain, Mass Murders Revealed." The article itself was quite long, but Maria was so absorbed by Arthur's writing, that she didn't even care. She and Kiku read through the whole thing, and she couldn't help but giggle at the way Arthur had reported the incident.

Once they had reunited with Arthur, Francis, Alfred, and Matthew after they had defeated Eden and wiped the database, Kiku and Arthur decided that the public could not know about the Antidote or Radiptanium's properties at all, or else someone may try to recreate Eden's murderous potions themselves, and kill others in the process. No, the Antidote and the whims of immortality had to stay secret, but a viable explanation was needed to cover up what happened. Too many people had been slaughtered in Spain to let it pass quietly, and the captives that Jaidee had freed demanded to know what was happening, as well as the detective agencies.

The tricky part was forging a story that was convincing while burying any mention of the Antidote. Kiku, Vash, Jaidee, and Natalya (formerly Euphrates, but she reverted back to her Belarusian name once she had killed Eden) had a serious discussion about what to do about Teramist. Turns out, Eden's web of conspiracy was so tightly stitched, that only a few people actually knew the whole of Teramist's operations. Many of the scientists had been kept in the dark, much like Kiku had been before he hacked into the New York Branch's database. No other scientists working for Teramist knew all the ingredients of the Antidote, nor did they know how to create their own Radiptanium, and none of them knew about the final component, human blood, since it was the Rivers that extracted that ingredient. With the database wiped, no one outside their friends knew its true components. Burying the secret wasn't as complicated as it could have been.

As for the cover up story, Arthur cleverly crafted a report that really only told half of the truth. In his article, Arthur revealed that Teramist, a generic pharmaceutical company, had actually been kidnapping innocent people from their headquarters in Spain, and using them to perform horrific human experiments. The way Arthur explained it was vague, yet the average reader wouldn't have realized that the article never really explained the true purpose of those experiments. At first glance, the article made it seem like Teramist was an organization of mad scientists, trying to create a whole new species with these human test subjects, killing them in the process. Maria and Kiku knew better, but the public was eating this stuff up.

The second half of the article told the story of how several brave individuals, whose names cannot be released, join the company incognito, hoping to expose the atrocities and finally put an end to the killing by sabotaging Teramist from the inside. When Maria read this, she almost burst out laughing. So that's how Arthur convinced the authorities that Kiku, Vash, Jaidee, and Natalya were innocent. It also told how some of the human test subjects were able to escape and help shut down the evil company once and for all. The main conspirators that ran the laboratory were killed, which made it hard for authorities to discern what really happened. But so many witnesses agreed on the loosely the same story, and since many of the escapees were clueless, it was the story that came to be accepted. It didn't hurt to have Antonio and Lovino, leading detectives on the scene, confirm Arthur's story.

"Sounds more like a novel than a report to me," Maria grinned once she finished.

"Antonio approved of it, so it's the official story. This article's probably circulating in Spanish over there as well," Kiku chuckled.

"I wonder how he's doing," Maria sighed. The Spaniard and his partner Lovino were in terrible condition when they finally made it out of the laboratory with Ludwig and Feliciano.

"He's walking normally now," Kiku told her, "But he won't be healthy enough to work again for another couple of months, Lovino too. At least, that's what Feliciano told me."

"That's good," Maria said, but her tone was a bit melancholy. "They'll live, at least." Kiku expression saddened, and he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, knowing what she was thinking about.

At Laura's funeral, Maria had been an emotional wreck, but that was completely understandable. When she first found out about her death, she had been sobbing uncontrollably, the loss just too much after all that had happened. For a few days, while Kiku, Vash, the ex-Rivers, and Arthur were putting together the cover story, she had been enveloped with shock and depression, while the others tried to cheer her up, but it wasn't until after a week she was able to accept what had happened. She felt like she had failed Laura, since Laura was the reason she survived the Acid Death, but now how could she repay her? It was like the night Mai died all over again. Eventually though, Kiku was able to get through to Maria, and help her move on.

But that didn't make her feel any better at the funeral, with endless tears spilling down her cheeks. Francis was grief-stricken throughout the whole ceremony as well, barely able to keep it together to give the eulogy. He did it though, staying as strong as he could manage for his little sister. Kiku could barely bring himself to talk to anyone that day as well, except for Maria. Feliks was there, unable to restrain himself from crying. Tears over her death even sprang into Lovino's eyes, and he didn't do anything to hide them for once. Saying goodbye to a friend was the hardest thing any of them had ever endured. Maria's heart ached whenever she thought of Laura, but eventually she realized that Laura was a lot like Mai. She sacrificed everything to right her wrongs and she knew that neither Mai nor Laura were truly gone; they were still here, watching over them all.

"Natalya and Jaidee are almost done from their missions," Kiku said, changing the subject to keep Maria from growing depressed again.

"That's great," Maria smiled, her mood picking up again at the good news. The two ex-Rivers had been traveling the globe, shutting down the rest of Teramist's branches in various countries. In the main laboratory, Jaidee made extra sure the blood room's extracting machines were destroyed beyond repair and Natalya shredded the most important files on Teramist's operations before anyone could read them in their entirety. Now they were doing the same to the subordinate branches while their superhuman abilities still worked. The Rivers usually took a vial of the Antidote every six months, so soon enough they would revert back to normal human reflexes and strength. But they were both okay with that. In fact, Jaidee wanted to be absolutely normal again. He felt his reliance on the Antidote was the last legacy Eden held over him, and he wanted it to disappear.

"Once they're done with that," Maria asked, "Where are they going to stay?"

"Ivan and Katyusha offered Natalya a place to belong," Kiku replied. "At their place in London, though I think they're thinking about moving back to Moscow, now that the Teramist branch there has been terminated. I think Natalya's actually looking forward to it."

"Oh right," she nodded, remembering. Apparently Ivan had really left a deep impression on Natalya after they fought Eden's guards outside the main database. The Braginkis took her in as a new sister, but Maria felt Natalya had stronger feelings for Ivan. "And is Jaidee coming back to New York?"

"No, actually, he's moving to Florida," Kiku chuckled, "Where Michelle lives."

"That's awesome!" Maria clapped happily, elated to hear that Jaidee had decided to go with the Seychellois girl. After they'd rescued each other from Gihon, the two grew extremely close, and Maria was overwhelmingly happy for them.

"Speaking of Jaidee," he continued, "Vash told me that Lily drew him an adorable thank you card." After the whole mess had settled down, Jaidee still had in his possession the last vial of the Antidote. He didn't want to keep it for himself, and so he decided that it would best be put to use if he gave it to Vash to give to Lily. No one ever told Lily what the ingredients of the cure was, but in her case, ignorance was bliss. Healing her was better, much better, than wasting the Antidote by throwing it away. Now Lily was healthy enough to run down the stairs without any help, and she could attend school without Vash having to worry.

"She's sweet," Maria giggled, "We ought to visit them sometime." She was about to say something more, when her phone buzzed on the countertop. Kiku gave her a knowing smile, indicating she should answer it, so she did, and Kiku continued eating as he waited, catching bits and pieces of her conversation. "Yeah, Kiku and I read the article," she said to the person on the other end, "...I know! Arthur did an amazing job...Wait, say that again, and stop yelling, Kuya! I can't understand you if you're yelling into the phone, even if you are excited...Really? That's great! Finally!" A wide grin grew on Maria's face, her eyes alight with enthusiasm. "...Awesome! Well, okay then, bye, talk to you later!" She pressed "End Call" and then set her phone aside.

Kiku raised an eyebrow inquiringly, "Yong Soo sounded happy." He had known from the moment she had said "kuya" that Maria had been talking to Yong Soo, because even though he wasn't really her brother, she had decided to call him that after he saved Kiku's own life, risking everything after Eden shot him. Perhaps with sheer luck, or maybe it was a blessing of some sort, or maybe because the universe decided that someone who was willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of another didn't deserve to die, but Yong Soo had selected the right vial, the Antidote, drank half for himself to test it, then used the other half to save Kiku. It was unbelievably brave, and Kiku knew he owned him his life. Maria didn't know how to repay him for everything he'd done for her and Kiku, and doubted that she ever could find a way, but ever since she'd insisted on calling him "kuya," to show her undying gratitude. Yong Soo was very modest about the whole ordeal, believe it or not, but he himself was elated to be able to use his legs again, and to see his little cousin safe again.

"He finally mustered up the courage to ask Anh on a date," Maria beamed, merrily. "And she said yes! Soon enough, they're going to be such a cute couple!"

"That's what you said about Elizaveta and Gilbert," Kiku chuckled at her increasing fervor.

"Well then, both couples are adorable," she amended laughingly. "Though Gilbert and Elizaveta argue as much as they kiss."

"But that's to be expected," he smiled, remembering Gilbert cower behind him when Elizaveta threatened to hit him with a frying pan when Gilbert wouldn't let her drive. She drove.

"Anyway," Maria started, "It's Saturday. We have the whole day to ourselves. Any ideas in mind?"

Kiku gave a knowing smile, "Just a few."

* * *

It was probably the most fun Maria had had since she was just a little kid. First they had just walked through the mall, just window shopping and laughing at the wildest trends of the day. When the two came to a designer jewelry store, Kiku caught sight of the ruby ring in display behind the glass. He tried to distract Maria by pointing to something else, but she saw through his guise. Instead of growing melancholy, she smiled. "It doesn't bother me anymore," she told him confidently, "Ever since we came back from Spain, I realized how silly it was, to let some stupid stone drive me crazy."

"I didn't think it was silly, and it definitely didn't make you weak," Kiku shook his head. "Actually, the red color of rubies reminds me of the Antidote now."

"I supposed there are some things that we just can't escape by trying to forget them," Maria speculated.

For a while, the two strolled around Central Park, children laughing and having a snowball fight around them in the frosty air. Maria had to duck a few times, and one snowball nailed Kiku in the shoulder, causing her to crack up. Even though the air was cold and chilly, the day itself was still beautifully nice, the cheery sun peeking out from behind the overcast clouds. As they walked down the path lined with snow, Maria slid her arm around Kiku's and rested her head on his shoulder with a peaceful smile. Ever since the incident in Spain, she learned to treasure every waking moment with him, and never take for granted little moments like this.

In the afternoon, they took a cab to a local ice rink, so Kiku could teach her how to ice skate. It wasn't that she didn't know how, she just didn't know how to very well. For the first hour, she held onto him tightly as he led her forward on his skates. She stumbled ever so often, but only fell on her bottom twice, which had to be a new record for her. Boy, the ice was cold. But after a while, and some good instruction on Kiku's part, she was finally able to go by herself, and with an hour's more of practice and experimenting by trial and error, she racing along the rink, Kiku not far behind, laughing in delight. However, when she looked over her shoulder to see where he was, she failed to the little kid stop directly in front of her, and she crashed into him, both of them knocked off their skates. When she frantically checked to make sure he was okay, with no broken bones of any sort, the boy was laughing hysterically, "We did like two whole flips! That was so cool!" Kiku skated up next to them, chuckling, and helped them both up.

By the time they left the rink, it was already getting dark outside. The sun was set, the air was a bit colder, and stars began to shine in the night sky. They decided to have dinner at Yao's restaurant, since it wasn't too far away, only ten minutes on foot. There weren't many people in this particular part of the city, since there were probably more Christmas festivals deeper in the downtown area. Again, Maria took Kiku's arm and drew him close as they walked, and he didn't complain, but smiled down at her instead. For the first few blocks, they conversed lightly, carefree and altogether happy, as they should be, Maria thought to herself.

After the tenth block or so, they rounded a corner to a mostly empty street, with closed shops, many of them seeming to be going out of business soon. Street lamps lit the sidewalks, which were partly covering in snow. Maria noticed there weren't many cars either, just a few parked along the street, and the place struck her as sketchy and shady. There were a couple of guys huddled in a group under one of the street lamps, partly in an alley, acting boisterous and obnoxious with each other, and both Maria and Kiku could smell the strong scent of liquor. They decided it would be best to go around the group of burly men- there were about eight guys total, all around the ages of 23 through 25- by stepping onto the vacant asphalt of the street and keeping a safe distance. However, as Maria and Kiku passed by, a distinct, terribly familiar voice called out from the group, "Maria?!"

Kiku was about to stop in surprise, but Maria's grip tightened in recognition, and she whispered, "Ignore them, just keep walking, please." Seeing her extreme discomfort, he nodded and their pace quickened.

But whoever called her name was persistent. "Maria, wait!" he called again. The sound of heavy footsteps told Maria that he was following after them as he called her name yet again. "Hey, Maria! It's me!"

Knowing he wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted, she sighed, and let go of Kiku, saying to him in a low voice, "Wait here, I'll handle this."

"Are you sure? I can help-" he started, but she shook her head.

"It's my old problem, not yours. Trust me, it'll only take a moment," she said firmly. By now, Kiku had guessed what was going on, and nodded, having complete faith in her. Taking a deep breath, she turned around to face the man who had been trying to catch up to them. It was a wonder that he hadn't yet, but then Maria realized why. His steps were wobbly and unbalanced, and there was strong whiff of alcohol on his lips. Kiku stood a few feet away, enough distance to hear without being intrusive, and close enough to quickly come to her aide, should she need it.

This guy was about a head taller than Maria, with muscular arms and a husky stature, though he had gained a few pounds since the last time she saw him, and his personal hygiene had also tanked in the last seven months. She also noted how fractured his gaze was, probably due to the alcohol.

"Damien, look," she began, none-too-gently, "I told you to leave me alone."

"But Maria," he answered with a slight slur, his expression desperate and despairing, and fake, Maria knew, "We can still work things out! I love you and I need you, why don't you just come back to me?" His voice was convincing, but she knew better.

"You mean you love and need my parents' money," she seethed bitterly, "Well, it's not happening, so just forget about it."

"Aw, don't be like that, babe," he frowned, reaching out, but Maria eluded his hand.

"Don't call me that. We're over. I don't need you anymore," she snapped.

"You're just playing hard to get," he chuckled woozily, slurring evidently by this point, "That was always your game. You still want me, don't ya?"

Maria just shook her head, controlling her temper. "No. I don't, actually. Stop following us. You're not good enough for me, or any decent girl for that matter. Goodbye." She spun on her heels to return to Kiku's side while she could still keep her emotions in check, but Damien caught her arm and gripped it forcefully, causing her to jump in alarm. "What are you doing?!" she demanded.

"C'mon babe, you're just being so stubborn 'cuz you don't know what you're missing out on," his grin grew disturbingly on his face, "Why don't you come home with me tonight, and I can show you a hell of a time. It'll change your mind! I never got to do it with you, and that's why you slipped away so easily, but tonight all that will change."

Maria didn't need any more hints to see what he was getting at, what he was planning to do. "Damien, stop, you're drunk! Let go of me, you bastard, I do NOT want to go anywhere with you!" She tried to yank her arm away, but his grasp was stronger than she thought. Her struggling did manage to anger him though.

"Be a good girl now and stand still!" he ordered, enraged by her comments. When Maria spit in his face defiantly, he thundered, "You dumb bitch, I'll put you in your-"

His threat was cut short when Kiku stepped in, a steely glare in his fierce brown eyes. "Let go of her," he said sternly. Damien blinked at him, as if he just realized Kiku had been there the whole time.

"Is this your new boyfriend, Maria?" he sneered obnoxiously, ignoring Kiku's demand entirely, "He looks just as fragile as you!" He clenched Maria's arm tighter, making her grit her teeth irately.

"I didn't want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice," Kiku sighed. Abruptly, he thrust his foot out, driving his heel into Damien's gut, forcing him to let go of Maria.

He stumbled backward, cursing, and his gruff buddies came to back him up. "You son of a bitch! You'll pay for that!" Damien exclaimed in outrage.

Maria and Kiku exchanged contemplating looks. Then she grinned at him and cracked her knuckles. Kiku nodded with a halfsmile and slid into a fighting stance, and she did the same.

"C'mon, guys, let's teach this guy lesson," Damien growled, and three of his friends joined him. Two of them charged forward at Kiku with wild swings, which Kiku dodged with ease. The third lout also attacked Kiku, but their movements were so uncoordinated due to the unprecedented consumption of alcohol beforehand. Kiku parried one of his punches, then used his momentum against him by pivoting on his heel and hurling him into another one of Damien's thug friends.

Meanwhile, Damien tried to get Maria to come with him again. "Look, babe, just come home with me. I miss you," he simpered. He tried to put a firm hand on her shoulder, but she moved out of his reach.

"Listen here, asshole, get lost! I don't need you anymore! I found someone else, someone who's ten times the man you'll ever be!" she shouted at him. In his anger, he lunged forward and pushed Maria up against the brick wall of a ramshackle shop by her shoulders, then pinned her arms at her side. He moved faster than she anticipated, even with that liquor in his system. Kiku was too busy dealing with his friends, and Damien was uncomfortably close to Maria. Not one to give up so easily, Maria stomped down hard on his foot, forcing him to let go and take a few steps back, giving her enough room to throw her knee into his gut.

"That's for trying to get your grubby hands on my parents' money," she seethed as he doubled over. Then she gave him a solid back-hand slap across the cheek, "And that's for insulting Kiku!" She turned to walk away, but Damien still found it in him to reach for her wrist again. Slighted, she whirled around and gave him that good, old-fashioned kick to the groin, and he toppled over, groaning. "And that's for good measure," she added, brushing off her clothes. Then she went to go see if Kiku needed any help.

He didn't. Within the next few moments, Kiku had the gangsters on the run, terrified. Maria and Kiku just watched them scamper down the street until they disappeared around the corner, then look at each other for a brief moment before bursting into laughter. Kiku pulled her into a passionate kiss, making Maria's heart dance in the blissful sensation as she kissed back.

Maria imagined that if Mai were still here, she'd being giving her that ridiculous grin that Maria so loved, giggling happily for her friend, and Laura would be giving her an approving smile. Maria really did miss them with all her heart, but now she knew better than to dwell on the past. She was living for both of them now, and she was going to make their sacrifices count. It was like Anh said, all those years ago, while they made have passed on, Mai and Laura were never truly gone. Not really. Their memories of them would live on in their hearts forever, and that was true immortality.

* * *

From the Author: I just wanted to say thanks so much to all of you out there who followed this fanfic all the way to this point! It means so much to me, and I hope you found it as fun to read as I found it fun to write!

There's going to be one more chapter, the epilogue.

BTW Damien is not a Hetalia character, just that random douchebag that plagues people's lives.

Thanks again guys, for the reviews, favorites, everything! Did I ever mention that I have the best audience ever? :D

**hetaliaforever123: **Thanks for all the reviews~ And I hope that this chapter was satisfactory! :)

**Juusan13: **Thanks, your tips have been a huge help! Not a single one was taken for granted I promise!

**chibibeanie: **Then this chapter must have been good news, eh? Thanks for reviewing!

**Tsuruya-san88: **Your review is greatly appreciated! Thanks so much! It means a lot :)

For those of you who want something else to read in any spare time, I've started a new fanfic called The Soul Deal, but this one focuses mainly on canon characters of Hetalia.

Anyways, thanks a bunch again! I couldn't have done it without all your support! Until next chapter!


	21. Chapter 21: Epilogue

Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia.

From the Author: I am proud to present the very last update of Destructive Desire: Give Me Your Secret. This is kind of like a bonus chapter, so I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for reading, favoriting, following and especially reviewing! You've all been an absolutely wonderful audience and I couldn't have asked for better! It really has been my pleasure writing this story for all of you, and to be honest, it makes me sad that it's already over. So thanks again, this has been your ever-so-humble author, wintercandyapple!

* * *

**One Year Later**

The sign on the glass door on the Jade Dragon read "closed" for the night, which was a particularly early time in the evening to be closed, especially on a Saturday night. However, through the glass door, the restaurant looked anything vacant; quite the unusual crowd was urgently preparing the restaurant for a certain special occasion.

Yao and Li Xiao were seeing to it that enough food was being cooked, and making sure that it was a batch of their best, most scrumptious gourmet, authentic Chinese food they had ever whipped up. While they were in the kitchen, Ludwig was furiously wiping down the table tops, until they were all but sparkling and free from any miniscule particles of dust and dirt. Feliciano followed him from table to table, also holding a paper towel, though not helping much, excitedly gushing about how he couldn't wait for dinner to start. The two had flown in from Europe yesterday night, just to help ready for this novel event that would take place tonight, and to be moral support for Kiku. Matthew swept the floor gingerly with a straw broom, though he too gave a small smile in anticipation. Alfred and Arthur were in charge of the decorations, but that meant mainly lighting the scented candles and organizing the centerpieces of the tables. However, Arthur was practically doing everything since he didn't trust Alfred's artistic capabilities, nor did he trust him with using the lighter on the candles. Jaidee and Michelle had taken it upon themselves to hang paper lanterns along the back wall stylistically, practically radiating enthusiastic joy. Antonio was carefully setting the table for two in the middle of the room, placing the napkins and the silverware next to the plate in an orderly, fancy fashion. Lovino stood next to him, his hands in his jacket pockets, with nothing to do, since prep wasn't really his thing. Antonio, Lovino, and Arthur, along with Francis, had also made the visit to America to be here tonight, and Jaidee and Michelle had even flown up from Florida together.

Kiku stood at the back of the room, standing perfectly still as Mei, Elizaveta, and Anh perfected his striking, dapper outfit: a black blazer over a white collared shirt with a scarlet tie and nice, black slacks. Mei was on top of a chair, fixing his hair until it was positively flawless. Anh held a crimson tie in her hand, trying to decided whether she should swap out the scarlet one for this one instead. Elizaveta also had a hard choice on her mind, whether the blazer should be buttoned or not. While the Hungarian girl was staring at the blazer intently, as if it would somehow give her the answer, the Vietnamese girl was holding up the crimson tie next to the scarlet one against Kiku's chest, frowning in uncertainty.

"I-I don't think it will matter either way..." Kiku tried nervously, knowing he was treading on dangerous waters between girls who were meticulous when it came to fashion.

"Hush! You need to look absolutely charming when she gets here," Elizaveta snapped, unbuttoning the blazer, and then buttoning it up again. "Hmm...there, that's good!"

Anh nodded in agreement, "You need to be stunning the entire time. And I think the scarlet one looks better, don't you think?"

"Yeah, the scarlet one," Elizaveta concurred, and to Kiku it was strange that they were considering this as if it were a life-or-death situation. "But make sure the tie's not too tight. Don't want him to choke up because of it or something."

Meanwhile, Yong Soo, Gilbert, and Francis revealed themselves from the back room, where they had been working on something for the past hour. In one hand, Yong Soo held a beautiful red rose, and in the other was what seemed to be a small radio device. "It's finished, da ze!"

"What is?" Arthur asked, turning to see them, and Alfred grabbed the lighter while he wasn't looking so he could take a turn lighting candles.

"Yeah, what have you three been up to this whole time?" Michelle asked curiously.

Instead of replying, Yong Soo headed straight to the center table, where Antonio was still setting it. The Korean placed the rose into the vase that held multiple other flowers that served as the centerpiece. "Awesome! Now we can hear every word of the conversation!" Gilbert chuckled.

"Wait...is that rose...?" Anh tilted her head, puzzled.

"It's not just a rose, isn't it?" Jaidee guessed.

Yong Soo nodded triumphantly, "It's a recording device! So we can hear everything from our hiding spots in the back room. I already tested it out, it sends live feedback to this little radio right here."

Francis gave his trademark laugh. "Oh, this is going to be so _magnifique." _

"Dude, that's so cool!" Alfred cheered, waving the around the lighter, that happened to be on, and Arthur frantically snatched it back before he could set something on fire, muttering "bloody moron!" under his breath.

Kiku wanted to say something, but wasn't sure how to object, "Really?"

"Maybe that's not a good idea," Matthew pursed his lips, seeing Kiku's discomfort with the notion.

"Aw, c'mon," Yong Soo insisted animatedly, "We already can't watch, at least let us hear what's going on!"

"Yeah, you might as well let them do it," Mei exhaled, "Or one of them might try to sneak a peek and get caught."

Kiku sighed in defeat, and Yong Soo grinned broadly, "Don't worry, da ze! Just make sure you don't get cold feet or anything. My little cousin can really smell fear, seriously!"

Just before Kiku could open his mouth to respond, but then Li Xiao bounded out of the kitchen, waving his phone, "She's almost here! Everybody get out!"

In a quasi-frenzied scramble, everybody but Kiku rushed out of the room and into the restaurant's hidden back room that was mainly for storing ingredients, but had barely enough room to fit them all inside. Within two seconds flat, Kiku was the only one standing in the now-empty room, with one table in the center standing out from all the others because of its fancy, red table cloth and extravagant decor, and not to mention it was the only table prepared with silverware and plates. Candles glowed from the other tables, giving the room a tender, quixotic air about it. He considered removing the red rose that Yong Soo had added, but decided against it, since the others in the back room might get too curious and poke their heads in the room.

Then her familiar two-door Lexus pulled up in front of the Jade Dragon. Maria stepped out, wearing a dazzling, one-shoulder, red satin dress that hugged her body nicely. Her long, deep brown hair tumbled past her shoulders, swishing slightly as she made her way up to the front door. At first, Kiku was so lost in her breath-taking splendor that he didn't even register the confused expression on her face when she came inside. "Kiku?" she blinked, raising an eyebrow, then taking a good look around to see the restaurant's temporary embellishment change.

Kiku had to take a moment to recall what was going on again. Oh right, Li Xiao had told Maria that tonight his family was holding a special dinner party. No wonder she was so befuddled, since she had been expecting to meet Li Xiao, Yao and Mei along with some of their other family members for a lavish banquet. He gave her a warm smile, "Surprised?"

Catching on, she giggled, practically lighting up the whole room with that bright smile of hers, "That's an understatement! Is this all just for us?"

"Hai," he nodded genially as he pulled her chair out for her to sit, then took his own seat just across the small table. "Just the two of us."

* * *

Yong Soo had to resist the urge to burst out laughing. _Just the two of us_, he had said! Little did Maria know that they were all hiding in the back room tapping into their conversation. Everyone was huddled around the small radio device, trying to stay as quiet as possible. Elizaveta and Mei could barely contain their excitement. Francis murmured that they should have installed a hidden camera somewhere on the ceiling, but Arthur shushed him. Alfred was having a hard time sitting still, but manage to control himself for the couple's sake. Jaidee wished he still had enhanced hearing, but as expected, his senses and physical abilities returned to that of a normal, healthy human. Giddy anticipation was practically bubbling up inside Michelle as she listened. Anh had her fingers crossed, hoping that everything would turn out just as planned.

* * *

Yao came out of the kitchen carrying an enormous silver platter with their delectable dinner. He set down dishes that he knew were some of Maria's favorite, and her eyes lit up at the sight of them. Li Xiao also followed his father to pour them some steaming tea, and before they returned to the kitchen, he threw a quick wink Maria's way with a knowing smile. Her first move was to go for the _xiaolongbao, _flavorsome soup-filled dumplings, biting into the warm bun and sucking out the broth that left a satisfying taste in its wake. Kiku began to divide up the roast duck while Maria scooped enough fried noodles onto both of their plates, along with the steamed rice.

And the courses were simply amazing. There was definitely more than enough food to eat, but Maria wished she could scarf it all down, it was that good. As they ate, the two conversed lightly, blowing through topic after topic, just following the flow of the conversation smoothly. Secretly, Kiku wondered if the others in the back room were still listening, since they hadn't talked about anything "scandalous and interesting" yet, but then again, they were all probably trying to get as close to the radio's speaker as possible. But, he soon found, as they drew closer to finishing their little feast, Kiku grew more and more on edge, and it was almost as if his nerves were working on overdrive. Fortunately, Kiku had mastered the art of masking his inner feelings, and outwards remained calm. This reminded of him of the time when he had lied to Maria in London, and had tried to pretend to be detached and out-of-love with her, but back then, she had figured him out right away with only a simple kiss.

Then, almost as if she had read his mind, she said wistfully, "You know, it's been a over a year since the incident with Teramist, but I still have dreams about it."

A tiny bit startled, Kiku frowned, "Nightmares?"

Maria thought about this for moment, but slowly answered, "I wouldn't say that they're all nightmares, but some of them are. More like the memories just keep replaying themselves in my head." She wanted to say more, but she didn't want to totally wreck the mood of the room, though she felt she had to at least mention it. The worst part of the memories was when she saw Kiku collapse after being shot, and seeing him on the verge of death and covered in blood. Every single time the remembrance was so realistic and intense that she became nauseated, but she also knew that it was the kind of recollection that was forever burned into memory.

And in fact, Kiku had similar feelings. Often, his own dreams or thoughts would e plagued by that same night, over a year ago, but instead, it was the image of Maria after she had been injected with the Acid Death concoction that destroyed her body from the inside out. Whenever he recalled this, he had the overwhelming urge to see Maria in person, to make sure she was still alive and well, and each time, a huge feeling of relief relaxed him. "I know what you mean, but it's over now. The Antidote doesn't exist anymore, and we survived. We're stronger now," Kiku affirmed confidently, his butterflies fading away.

"You're right," she smiled softly, "We are stronger." Losing Laura had had another enormous impact on Maria; she took up a moral obligation to help those around her, and especially to protect her friends. Though her friends didn't need much protecting these days, she realized how easily their lives could be taken for granted, and she promised herself she'd cherish every second with all of them. "And I also made a lot of new friends back then," she added thoughtfully, "I haven't seen some of them in a while now. Even though we're all still in touch, I miss them. I know! We should all get together again for a special reunion or something, and I mean all of us! You, me, Yong Soo, Yao, Alfred, Matthew, Arthur, Francis, Jaidee, Michelle, Gilbert, Elizaveta, Antonio, Lovino, Ludwig, Feliciano, Ivan, Natalya, Katyusha, Vash, Lili, Feliks, Toris, and Anh, Li Xiao, and Mei too! All of us who know about Teramist."

Kiku had to force back a knowing grin, since more than half of the people she just listed off were actually just beyond the back wall, and he knew the perfect, jovial occasion which to invite the others too. "I'm sure we'll see them all sooner than you think."

* * *

In the back room, Elizaveta, Feliciano, and Michelle were holding back tears from hearing Maria's touching words about friendship. All of them were moved by the heartfelt meaning to her anecdote, especially since they knew those words were true. Maria still had no idea they were even listening, after all.

"That's just awesome of her to say," Gilbert whispered.

"That's my little cousin for you," Yong Soo agreed, beaming.

"There's always something about her that so sincere," Jaidee nodded. "I wish more people were like that."

Antonio nodded, "Sí, simple and selfless."

"She's going to be so happy when she sees everyone at the wed-" Alfred started, but then Arthur covered his mouth, irritated.

"Sh! Not so loud, or she'll hear you," the Brit said in a low voice.

"Everybody shut the hell up, I'm trying to listen," Lovino muttered.

* * *

Yao came back out, this time holding only two small trays, each with their own fortune cookie, as Li Xiao took their finished plates away. Once the tabled was clear, Yao removed the centerpiece and placed one tray in front of Maria and the other in front of Kiku. With that, the two quickly vanished back into the kitchen, playing the role of normal waiters for tonight.

"Good, old traditional fortune cookies," Maria grinned, taking hers in her hands as Kiku did the same.

She broke the cookie in half, and ate the half without the fortune inside first, before taking the small slip of paper out of the other carefully. She straightened it out, and it read: _Look up_.

Maria blinked. Look up? What kind of fortune was that? What was that supposed to mean? It was more like a command than a fortune. But when she glanced up from her slip of paper, her heart skipped a beat.

Kiku had just broken his cookie in half, revealing what was definitely _not_ a fortune written on a piece of paper. Instead, a lustrous diamond ring spilled out onto his palm.

It was the more gorgeous, shimmering ring she had ever seen. And she was star struck.

As Kiku stood up from his seat and knelt on one knee before her and took her hand gingerly, she found herself utterly speechless, her heart swelling inside her chest, beating twice as fast as usual.

"Maria, these past few weeks I've been doing a great deal of thinking, and then I realized before I met you, I was doing everything wrong with myself. But then you stepped into my life, and suddenly, I had something worth fighting for, and you became the one thing in my life that I looked forward to for months. When I found out about the Antidote's ingredient, it hurt so much, I can't even begin to describe it in words. I knew that if I wanted to stop Eden I would have to leave you behind to protect you, and to be honest, I almost didn't go because I didn't want to leave you. But then I realized that I couldn't be with you if I let something as wicked and cruel as that happen, because that would have made me a coward, and how could I have asked for your love as a coward who didn't even remotely come close to being worthy of you? I wrote you that letter, thinking that you would move on and that it was for the best, since the chance that I would come back alive was small. But now I see that if you hadn't been there for me, I'd have died and Teramist would have won. Ever since then, I realized that there is nothing this world could offer that was more precious to me than you. I love you Maria, because of everything that you are, and it's you who's inspired me to become the best that I can be. And now, I just can't imagine moving forward without you by my side. And I want to always be by your side. So, Maria, will you marry me?"

Joyous tears sprung into her eyes, and a genuine, jubilant smile grew on her face instantly. She nodded elatedly, trying to find her voice in her throat again. "Yes! Yes, of course," she finally answered, letting him slip the platinum band on her ring finger, and once he was done, he drew her close to give her a passionate, sweet kiss, so absorbed by one another that it seemed like everything around them had faded away, and it was just the two of them, forging their eternal bond.

* * *

Emotions sky-rocketed in the back room when their whole-hearted exchange was sent live to the radio. Elizaveta and Mei were wiping away tears, and Yong Soo, Gilbert, Francis, and Alfred were giving each other high-fives. Anh put her hand over her heart, eyes watery. Michelle was almost jumping with joy while Jaidee grinned involuntarily. Feliciano was so happy he couldn't help but share it by hugging his best friend Ludwig, surprising the German. Arthur nodded to himself, satisfied, while Matthew chuckled quietly, partly out of cheerfulness, partly from seeing everyone else's reactions. Antonio made a fist in the air exultantly, but he was so close to Lovino that the Italian had to recoil backwards to avoid accidentally being hit. Unfortunately, the room was so packed, that he ended up knocking against a very unstable set of shelves containing numerous wares and ingredients for the food. Two big bags of flour sitting on the top shelf toppled over, practically exploding upon impact with the ground, the white power flying up in to air, filling the small back room.

But that wasn't all. Apparently Li Xiao kept some of his special fireworks on those same shelves. A batch of firecrackers also fell to the floor, this time literally exploding upon impact. They were only small explosions, not strong enough to do much but make a loud _POP_!

* * *

Maria and Kiku pulled apart, startled. "What was that?" Maria asked, blinking in surprise.

"Er..."

Suddenly, Francis and Gilbert came running out of the back room, covered in white powder, coughing slightly and trying to get the stuff out of their eyes. They were soon followed by the others, flour all over all of them. Yong Soo cried, "It's all the way down my throat! It's so dry!" and immediately went for Kiku's unfinished tea as soon as he saw it, chugging it as fast as he could, ignoring the fact it was still a little hot.

"Aw, it looks like I have dandruff or something," Michelle sighed, examining her pigtail.

"That's one way to clear a whole bloody room, even better than smoking it out," Arthur grumbled, rubbing his eyes.

Yao and Li Xiao burst in from the kitchen, jaws dropping. "You idiots!" Yao scolded crossly.

"What is everyone doing here?" Maria tilted her head. They all fell silent, afraid that they had completely screwed up big time, fearing the Filipina's reaction. No one said a word for a moment, and not even Kiku could think of something to say that would explain all this.

Finally, Alfred piped up, "Surprise! We're here for your engagement party!"

"...Really?" she asked.

"Oui, we just decided to make ourselves look terrible with the flour so that you two stand out more," Francis added, "That way, when we look back at the pictures, it'll be obvious who's the newly engaged! Most people just get the happy couple crowns or something but that's so overdone."

There was another pause, but finally Maria cracked up, "Life without friends like you guys would just be so boring!"

Grinning excitedly now, Yong Soo placed his radio down on one of the tables, and switched it to a real station, turning up the volume. "Then let the engagement party begin, da ze!"

* * *

They partied for hours in the Jade Dragon, until finally it was time to call it a night. But instead of going back to their apartments, Kiku and Maria ended up taking a really late night stroll in the park. As they sat down on the tranquil bench, Maria, who was already wearing Kiku's blazer over her dress, drew close to him and he put his arm around her gently. The ring fit on her finger snuggly, as if it were always meant to be there. She smiled when she thought this, and rested her head on his chest, feeling the steady heartbeat of her fiancé, reassuring and profound.

"You know," she murmured whimsically, "About what you said earlier, I always want to be by your side, too. Scratch that, I always will be, whether I'm standing two inches away or if I'm on the other side of the planet, I'll be there for you. That's my promise." As she spoke, they laced their fingers together affectionately.

"I don't care where this path takes us," Kiku whispered back, "It doesn't matter as long as you're with me. It'll be our promise."

Maria smiled, all her doubts about the future vanishing completely, because he was right, nothing else mattered. She'd rather live one life with him than a million without. "Our promise."

* * *

"_What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal_."

-_Albert Pines_


End file.
